What I ate today for vegans 3!!

[Kobanidaughters]

New thread for all the deliciousness!

Brilliant - thanks.

@Kintsugi16 I used this one: thekitchn cashew cream but I think they are all much of a muchness.

@PartTimeDomesticGoddess so glad you enjoyed your dinner!

@DialsMavis my next door neighbour is Iranian and I texted her about the noodle soup to ask her if she'd had it. She was so excited that next day she brought round a box of reshek for me! So it's deffo on the menu for this week.

It seems like the secret is the blender. Hopefully mine is up to the job!

It definitely is the key. You don't want even a hint of graininess.

I swear by my hand held blender, it's best to buy the more expensive (higher spec.) ones. My smoothies need to be SMOOTH!! Yes giving the nuts a good soak before blending is the answer, I made cream cheese with almonds done like that, with plenty of garlic. herbs etc. You wouldn't know you were eating vegan cheese.

Apple, mixed soaked sultanas, lemon, ground linseeds, half apple juice\filtered water smoothie
L. Pnut butter/yeast extract (Meridian) rye toast with endive\shallot dressed salad.
Onion soup with rice pasta. 2 oaties and pnut butter

@AlmightyBob ah great stuff, it's one of those recipes that all comes together in the last 5 mins.

DD has just realised she won't be able to have her massive treat Harry Potter butter beer when we go for a bubble tea today ( it's just an exercise to get her to walk 2.5 miles each way without realising) -her heart wants to be vegan but her tummy does not!

In the interests of balance no lovely insta worthy cooking here tonight. We are getting a Nandos! Omni DS ends up eating vegan or at least veggie 80% of the time as he is stuck with us and I quite fancy trying the new imitator wrap, so everyone is happy! DH hates Nandos but is away for work so it will break the boring evening up a bit.

I made cream cheese with almonds done like that, with plenty of garlic. herbs etc. You wouldn't know you were eating vegan cheese.

Do you have a recipe?

I dislike all the vegan "cheeses" that you can buy in the shops. The best ones I have tasted were made from cashew nuts, but I have only ever tasted these at food festivals.

I really rate Tyne Chease

Yes but I've tweaked it ! It obvs. depends on how much you want to make. I used a cup of whole almonds first boiled in water to just cover for 8 - 10 mins, left to cool down completely or soak overnight in the water and then the skins removed. (they come away easily). Of course you can make this with ready bought ground almonds or the nuts you like

Blend with a tabsp, olive oil and lemon juice, add more until it's the texture you want. Add the 2 or 3 cloves of garlic and basil or mint\oregano, celery salt or normal seasalt and pepper or ground horseradish (the herbs you like)

Thank you. That sounds delicious.

I don’t use a recipe for cashew cream - and I pour boiling water over the cashew because they you don’t have to soak for as long, add as much water as you want depending on thickness and I don’t add anything else. The key is absolutely the blender, I use my ninjas for most thing but only the vitamix gets cashew cream smooth enough

Cashews don't agree with dh and me, (they give him arthritic knees and bloats my gut!) tmi !

B. Leftover smoothie, half a lemon.
L. Leftover onion soup with spelt toast and nooch.
S. sn. HM bowl of apple crumble

Oh PartTime I hope you and the family are ok.

Thanks @ppeatfruit. DH is OK and looking forward to coming out of isolation in our bedroom on Tuesday! But he's not expecting to go back to work all of next week (and he NEVER has time off sick, so that says a lot). Me and the DDs are all fine, so 🤞

That's interesting about blenders. I have a stock blender with bowl attachment that's got a 600W motor. Perfect for hummus, no good for cashew cream. But my ninja is fine for it (as long as the nuts are well soaked or boiled and cooled) and I recently bought the accessory pack to get a new blade and have found the smaller cup really useful for the smaller volumes. I don't have a vitamix, so can't compare. Have recently bought an air fryer and currently eying up an instapot, so really can't justify a vitamix 😂

@DialsMavis I think the non-instaworthy food diaries are just as interesting/good/important to post. How was the Nando's wrap?

Yesterday was
B: 2 slices of toast. One with naturli and marmalade, the other piled high with miso/garlic mushrooms.
L: spicy bean burger with big salad of lambs lettuce/ruby chard, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, beetroot and avocado
D: sausage plait made with Richmond sausages, roast potatoes/parsnips/cauliflower/butternut squash, cabbage, broccoli, peas and gravy
S: dates, 2 M&S hot cross buns generously spread with naturli, apple slices with peanut butter, rose chocolate creams

B: Sourdough toast and peanut butter
L: DH made a bean salad
D: We’re planning some sort of Oumph with spicy rice, corn cobs and macho peas with salad and pitta (channeling Nando’s)

I'm about to try jack fruit for the first time. Im not sure what to expect!

I'm about to try jack fruit for the first time. Im not sure what to expect!

Have low expectations, then you won't be diappointed
Seriously though, for something that claims to be a substitute for pulled pork the texture is too slimy. If I wanted to replicate the meaty texture of pulled pork I would use King Oyster mushrooms instead.

I love jackfruit in curry - just gives a different texture when I’m bored of chickpeas and lentils - it doesn’t taste of anything so it’s purely a texture thing

Glad you and the DC are all feeling ok @PartTimeDomesticGoddess !!

I’m not a fan of Jackfruit

Do any of you use Oumph? It’s a favourite in this house with everyone

Hello! I like jackfruit in things too. I sometimes put it in chilli and also in a goulash recipe we like. I agree with @KobaniDaughters that it's pretty much flavourless so will taste of anything you cook it in, but I like the texture. It's suffered a bit of a backlash recently, people saying it has no nutritional value etc, which isn't true. It's not a brilliant protein source, which shouldn't be surprising because it's a fruit, but it does have plenty of fibre, vitamins and minerals.

My food:

Yesterday:

Breakfast/lunch: couple thick slices of sourdough toast and Naturli
Dinner: a big pot of creamy orzo with spinach and garlic mushrooms stirred through. Made the stock for the orzo again with some dried shiitake, celery, onion, carrots, a couple of bayleaves and peppercorns.
Snacks/other: salt and vinegar peanuts, pistachios, a bottle of Malbec and three rum and cokes sitting up playing trivial pursuits till all hours.

Today:
Breakfast: Toast and Naturli
Lunch: leftover orzo
Dinner: veggie sausages, flat grilled portobello mushrooms, braised savoy cabbage, braised Puy lentils
Snacks: half a big bar of orange Bournville. Not very nice but the only vegan chocolate in the local corner shop.

Is Oomph a meat substitute @Kintsugi16 ? I think I've seen it in the supermarket. Haven't used it.

That's good news @PartTimeDomesticGoddess . Glad your DH is on the mend and you and the nippers have stayed well.

@AlmightyBob your dinner sounds AMAZING

Have really suffered with period pains and consequential boating and digestive pains this weekend. Been hungry but every time I eat it then hurts. Ugh roll on menopause (20 more years?!)

L: shishito peppers fried in sesame oil and soy sauce, air fried cauliflower and Brussel sprouts (over did them, need to figure out how to use it!), crackers, bitchin sauce and made a tahini lemon sauce as well
S: trail mix
D: bloated and feel shit so just had DD’s leftover mashed potato and a handful of popcorn.

Think I’ll stick to some gut healing soup tomorrow

TBH a lunch of peppers, sprouts and cauliflower would blow me up like a balloon. Sounds delicious though.

@KobaniDaughters hope you feel better soon. I had a full hysterectomy about 9 years ago and it was seriously life changing and one of the best things I've ever done.
@Kintsugi16 I haven't really tried oomph much. How firm is it? I have a few dental issues so want something that isn't too hard to chew if that makes sense?
I quite like jackfruit, but would choose king oyster mushrooms like @Ginfordinner

Yesterday was
B: porridge with blueberries, seeds and golden syrup
L: red lentil, chickpea, cumin soup and a marmite sandwich
D: big 'beef' stew and dumplings. I used the Unbelievable Alt beefless tender pieces and was quite impressed (cooked for hours in my stew they were lovely and tender, see above comment! Not sure what they'd be like in a stir fry type dish but will try that another time). Also used vegan beef flavoured oxo, balsamic, mushroom ketchup and a teaspoon of marmite and for veggies I used carrot, swede, celery, onion and a couple of big chestnut mushrooms that needed using up. We had cabbage, broccoli and peas with it. And then I ate a box of 12 nomo caramel chocolates. Thankfully that's almost the end of the Christmas chocolate now as I am best at self control in the supermarket...

Oumph has a firm texture and is an excellent meat replacement. It’s popular with the men in this house and feeds their protein obsession 😂

One of my DS’s is cooking for himself tonight so I’m planning something with nuts which are just about the only thing he doesn’t eat.
Another DS can’t eat beans so I have to be adaptable with our vegan diet!
Any recommendations? I’m currently thinking of a Thai noodle salad with some tofu.