Oniony Gravy

Great over Meatless Loaf! 

Makes 2 cups; serves 4 to 6

• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup minced yellow onion
• 1/4 cup flour
• 2 cups water
• 4 teaspoons vegetable bouillon powder*

*For bouillon cubes use 1 cube per cup of water. Heat water and dissolve cube before adding to roux.

In a small saucepan heat oil on medium and sauté onions until translucent. Add flour, stir and cook until roux is smooth. Add water and bouillon, and cook, stirring constantly, until gravy thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon.

Vegan Yogurt (for use in recipes)

Makes 1/2 cup

• 4 ounces (1/2 cup) drained silken tofu
• 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar

In a small bowl whisk together all ingredients. Refrigerate if not using immediately.

Fresh Tomato Sauce

Use your own homegrown tomatoes, or the vine-ripened variety from the farmer's market or supermarket. This is a light sauce best served over a delicate pasta such as capellini (angel hair).

Makes 2 1/2 cups sauce; serves 2 as a main dish

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 large or 1 small sweet onion, coarsely chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 8  medium or 6 large vine-ripened tomatoes (2 to 2 1/2 pounds), seeded and quartered
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano (or 3/4 teaspoon fresh chopped oregano)
• 3/8 teaspoon dried basil (or 1 teaspoon fresh chopped basil)
• Salt to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 8 ounces capellini or other delicate pasta, cooked according to package directions

In a large skillet on medium-high, heat oil and sauté onion until translucent, 5 minutes. Add garlic and sauté until aromatic, 1 minute. Add tomato paste, cook and stir until paste is well distributed and has darkened in color, about 2 minutes. Add wine and cook until alcohol has evaporated, about 2 minutes. Add tomatoes, oregano and basil, and cook, stirring often, until tomatoes have released all their juices and most of the liquid has evaporated, about 30 minutes. As tomato skins loosen, use tongs to remove and discard them. If desired, puree sauce using an immersion or countertop blender. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve over capellini.

No fridge? No problem!

When the forecast is "superstorm" and you're not in the evacuation zone, beyond buying bottled water, batteries and a full tank of gas, you can also prepare to eat better than processed canned or boxed foods full of sugar, salt, additives and preservatives.

In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, here in coastal NYC, if our homes weren't destroyed we still had to deal with days or weeks of power outages. That meant getting a gas generator or going fridgeless. And fuggedabout ordering in! Everything was closed. As it turned out, my block in "Zone B" didn't lose power for long but I planned for the possibility.

As a vegan, free from meat and dairy, I realized I could do fine without my fridge and feed my family of five really well. I began browsing my recipe repertoire for fridge-free potential. I already kept plenty of shelf-stable ingredients such as oils, vinegar-based condiments, bouillon, dry or canned beans, grains, pasta, nuts, textured vegetable protein (TVP), vital wheat gluten, canned corn, canned tomatoes, fresh potatoes, onions, garlic, etc. If necessary, veggies that I would normally refrigerate would be fine on the countertop and get used quickly. Food shopping after Sandy was a challenge but not totally impossible. Most supermarkets were closed for a long time but a few fruit stores and bodegas were open and somewhat stocked so it was possible to buy some fresh things every few days.

I have tagged recipes “fridge-free” only if they easily qualify as written, but more may be eligible. Some may be made fridge-free by omitting a refrigerated ingredient that won't be much missed, such as tofu in a stir-fry. If the ingredient is 1/4 cup of wine you could simply enjoy the remainder of the bottle with dinner.

Of course, I’m only talking about ingredients, not cooking method. Some people may choose to unplug their fridge because it's an energy drain but will still use an electric blender, a slow cooker, an oven with an electric starter, etc. All my fridge-free recipes would suit them. But in the event that you’re cooking without any electricity at all, preparing for hurricane season or going off the grid on a camping or boating trip, many of my recipes are very doable on just a match-lit gas range top, propane stove or gas grill.

See all my recipes tagged fridge-free.

Pesto

Spaghetti with Pesto, pictured with
Garlic Wilted Spinach and
Baked Cannellini, Zucchini & Peppers 

Makes 1 1/2 cups pesto, for 1 pound pasta

• 1/4 cup raw pine nuts, toasted if desired
• Handful raw almonds or walnuts
• 1 1/2 tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes
• 1 packed cup fresh basil leaves (or other leafy green such as spinach, cilantro, arugula, etc.)
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1/8 teaspoon salt or to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 3/8 cup extra-virgin olive oil

In a food processor pulse nuts and yeast until a crumbly meal is formed. Add basil, garlic, salt, pepper, and 1/3 of the olive oil. Puree, scraping down the sides as needed. With the motor running, drizzle remaining oil until fully incorporated and mixture is smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings.

Gravy (Not Chickeny or Beefy)

Makes 2 cups; serves 4 to 6

• 2 cups water
• 1 vegetable bouillon cube (salted or salt-free)
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• 1/2 teaspoon granulated onion
• 1/4 teaspoon granulated garlic
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons flour
• Salt to taste, if needed 

In a small saucepan, whisk all ingredients (except salt) together until well combined. Bring to a boil over medium heat and cook, whisking, until thickened slightly. Taste, and add salt if desired.

Nutritional Supplements Vegans Need

Here's a quick list of supplements that all vegans need.

• Vitamin B12--cyanocobalamin not methylcobalamin: The recommended dose is 25 to 100 micrograms per day or 1,000 micrograms 2 to 3 times per week. If you have not been taking B12 for a while, start out with 2,000 micrograms daily for several weeks. B12 isn’t toxic, don't worry that too much could be harmful. 
• Vitamin D2: 1,000 I.U.s of vitamin D2 daily. Vegans do not use D3, which is animal-sourced. 
• Iodine: a good source is iodized salt.

Other supplements to consider for your particular needs: Calcium, Iron, DHA. Further reading: "Recommended Supplements for Vegans", a blog post by registered dietician Virginia Messina, author of Vegan For Life.

Accidentally Vegan

A really worthwhile source to check out is PETA's "Accidentally Vegan" list of mainstream foods available in a typical grocery store. The list is surprisingly long and is constantly being updated.

One thing they haven't listed (as of May 2013) is Gabila's Potato Knishes ("Brooklyn's Original Coney Island Square Knish"), in the refrigerated section of supermarkets & warehouse stores. They're delish!

Another thing not listed at PETA that I just discovered (June 2013) is Belvita Breakfast Golden Oat Biscuits, a Nabisco product in the supermarket cookie aisle.

Solutions: Nondairy, Meatless, Egg-free

Recommendations are based on my family’s taste preferences and what's available nearby.

GROCERY AISLE

Nondairy Milks: Use nondairy milks in the same way as dairy milk in cereal, coffee, and recipes. Thicken into sauces by using oil/flour roux or cornstarch slurry. Get to know the different flavors--soy, almond, rice, oat, coconut, hemp--by experimenting, and match the milk to the recipe according to your taste. For cooking don’t bother with the refrigerated milks (unless it’s creamer which is refrigerated) since the shelf-stable milks are just as good. Brands I use are Pacific Foods and Westsoy and other organic brands because I care about avoiding GMOs. Silk products are easy to find but many aren’t organic. At the food co-op I get a case discount… sweet!

Condiments, Canned Beans, Canned Soups: There are many good brands, even some organic canned veggies such as Libby's. I find that we like a lot of Amy’s Organics products – check labels because Amy’s makes non-vegan items too.

Vegetable Broth:

• Imagine No Chicken, No Beef broth, or Vegetable broth
• Pacific Foods Vegetable Broth
• Kitchen Basics Vegetable Stock by McCormick
• Any vegan organic vegetable bouillon such as Seitenbacher Vegetarian Vegetable Broth and Seasoning, Organic Gourmet or Rapunzel

Bread, Bagels, Buns: Breads may be found in the grocery and/or frozen section. Rudi's, Ezekiel, Vermont, but always check labels for eggs, milk/whey, non-vegan sugar.

REFRIGERATOR CASE

Egg-free Mayonnaise: Follow Your Heart Vegenaise

Meat Substitutes:

• Field Roast sausage links, Stuffed Celebration Roast 
• Tofurky sausage links, cold cuts
• Lightlife Gimme Lean ground, beef-style or sausage, cold cuts, hot dogs
• Yves meatless deli slices, meatless ground round (like beef), chorizo
• Trader Joe's Turkeyless Stuffed Roast with Gravy (This is a seasonal product around Thanksgiving and IMO the best-tasting turkey alternative. I buy extra and keep it frozen so we can enjoy it a few more times during the year.)
• Home-made: See my recipes using Textured Soy-Vegetable Protein (TSP, TVP)

Nondairy Creamer:

• Organic Valley soy creamer
• Silk (but organic is hard to find)
• So Delicious Coconut Milk creamer.
• Home-made: See my recipe for creamer, okay in a pinch.

Nondairy Cheese:

• Daiya soy cheese: shredded cheddar, shredded mozzarella, shredded Jack (this brand really melts and tastes a lot like dairy cheese)
• Tofutti cream cheese, ricotta, sour cream
• Follow Your Heart Vegan Gourmet block cheeses, cream cheese, sour cream
• Galaxy Nutritional Foods grated vegan parmesan (the soy, NOT the rice kind)
• Home-made: See my recipes for ricotta, sour cream, and parmesan

Nondairy Butter (non-hydrogenated vegan margarine, no trans-fat):

• Earth Balance buttery sticks, buttery spread
• Smart Balance (not as tasty as Earth Balance)

Nondairy Yogurt:

• WholeSoy soy yogurt
• So Delicious Dairy Free coconut milk yogurt
• Silk soy yogurt

FREEZER CASE

Frozen Entrees, Burritos, Pizza: There are many good brands, but I find that we like a lot of Amy’s Organics products – check labels because Amy’s makes non-vegan items too.

Ravioli: Soyboy

Chicken-Flavor Patties:

• Soy Boy Okara Courage Burgers
• Boca Foods Spicy Chik Patties

Chicken-Flavor Cutlets:

• Gardein “chick'n filets” or “chick'n scallopini” cutlets

Nondairy Ice Cream:

• So Delicious Dairy Free coconut milk ice cream (awesome! Love their pops & sandwiches)
• Tofutti soy milk ice cream

Bread, Bagels, Buns: Breads may be found in the grocery and/or frozen section. Rudi's, Ezekiel, Vermont, but always check labels for eggs, milk/whey, non-vegan sugar.

What’s Nutritional Yeast?

Nutritional yeast is deactivated yeast used as an ingredient in recipes or as a condiment. It has a strong flavor that is described as nutty, cheesy, or creamy. It is a complete protein and source of vitamins, especially B-complex. It’s naturally low in fat and sodium, free of sugar, dairy, and gluten and sometimes fortified with Vitamin B12. Flakes are much preferred over powder. Good brands are Red Star, Bob’s Red Mill, Bragg and KAL. Find them in the health food store grocery aisle or Amazon's Grocery & Gourmet Food department. Refrigerate after opening.

Tofu: Selecting, Pressing

Use refrigerated tofu from the produce aisle, not the dry packaged stuff in the grocery aisle.  Choose organic non-GMO if that’s important to you. Recipes typically specify soft, medium, firm or extra firm. If unspecified, use anything except “silken”.

All tofu except silken requires pressing to expel the packing water. To press one (14 to 16 ounce) block of tofu: Drain the water from the package. Place a saucer upside-down on a dinner plate. Place the tofu flat on the saucer. Place another saucer upside-down on the tofu. Place a weight on top, such as a heavy book or cast-iron skillet. Allow to press 20 to 30 minutes. Pressed-out water will fill the dinner plate. One block feeds 2 people. I generally use 2 to 3 blocks for 5 people, and I press and drain them all at once by laying them on a broiler tray topped with a cookie sheet and weight.

Freezing firm or extra-firm tofu enables it to release more water when pressed, to absorb marinades better, and gives it a more firm, dense, somewhat spongy texture. To freeze, remove the block from its package and wrap it in plastic wrap or a plastic bag. Freeze at least overnight, thaw in the refrigerator, and press out remaining water.

Protein Sources

The following plant-based foods are rich in protein:

• Whole grains: quinoa, whole grain bread, brown rice, barley, etc.
• Beans, lentils, legumes
• Tofu
• Soy products (meat substitutes)
• Nuts, seeds
• Wheat gluten (seitan, meat-like in recipes)

NYC Area Vegan & Organic Shopping

Food co-ops have everything for vegan and organic living, however they’re pricey and some require membership and a service commitment. The Flatbush Food Co-op doesn’t have those rules, and members get a 10% discount.

Trader Joe’s, Fairway, and Whole Foods reliably carry a wide selection of vegan ingredients and prepared foods.

ShopRite stores have a good selection of refrigerated and frozen items, some grocery items, and a growing amount of organic produce. I highly recommend the location that opened in the Gateway Shopping Center (Belt Parkway exit 15) in fall 2014. There I can find both soy and coconut coffee creamers, Daiya cheeses, Tofutti cream cheese, Amy's vegan frozen entrees, Daiya frozen pizza, kosher pareve frozen pie crust, Vegenaise mayo, a big nondairy milk section, and so much more that's hard to find in mainstream supermarkets. The produce aisle is huge and somewhat organic, with all kinds of ethnic items including pasteles paper and string!

A few Key Food locations have started carrying Silk soy coffee creamer, Earth Balance margarine, Vegenaise mayo, and more. Stop & Shop is great for shelf-stable groceries such as Bob's Red Mill grains, beans and flours, and some organic produce but not as much for refrigerated and frozen items. Waldbaums will often have vegetarian cheese and meat substitutes in the produce aisle. I bet there are other supermarket chains that are jumping on the health food bandwagon, I just don’t know about them yet.

Health food stores do have all the ingredients but tend to be out of my price-range. So, for shelf-stable grocery items and nutritional supplements I often get great deals from Amazon's Grocery & Gourmet Food department. For produce, many busy people who don’t have time to shop are happy with organic food delivery services such as Go Organic NYC but I have never tried them. GrowNYC greenmarkets are a fabulous source for locally-grown organics, if you can fit their limited hours on specific days of the week into your shopping schedule.

In southern Brooklyn where I live, I’ve found that Sheepshead Bay Fruits & Vegetables Market (Ave Z between E 17th & E 18th St) carries a lot of organic produce and some health-food grocery, and Fruits-A-Plenty (Kings Highway between E 15th & E 16th St) has some health-food grocery such as 32 ounce containers of Pacific vegetable broth. You’ll have to do some investigating in your own neighborhood to find gems such as these.

If you are in the NYC area and can contribute to this list, please write it in a comment!

What’s Vegan?

"Vegans exclude flesh, fish, fowl, dairy products (animal milk, butter, cheese, yogurt, etc.), eggs, honey, animal gelatin, and all other foods of animal origin." -- AmericanVegan.org

To get quick and dramatic health benefits, cut out all animal proteins and fats. (In 1 1/2 months I lost 25 pounds, my blood cholesterol fell 20 points and I got off simvastatin!)

Reading labels, it’s hard to know every animal-derived ingredient. (Just to confuse us, milk thistle is an herb, not dairy.) Judge products by the cholesterol percentage in the nutritional information. If the cholesterol is more than zero, it has animal ingredients, because animals are the only source of cholesterol in processed foods. On ingredient lists, beyond the obvious, things to avoid are:

• Albumen
• Calcium stearate
• Casein, and compound words such as "caseinate" -- a very common ingredient, even found in some soy cheese, so read carefully.
• Gelatin
• Ghee
• Glycerides
• Lactose, and any compound word with "lact" such as “lactulose”
• Oleic acid
• Pepsin
• Rennet
• Stearic acid
• Whey in any form
• Honey (optional for ethical, not health, reasons)

Vegan Parmesan

Makes 1/2 cup

• 1/4 cup raw chopped almonds or walnuts
• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes
• 3/4 teaspoon fine salt

In a food processor, grind nuts into a crumbly powder. Add yeast and salt; pulse to combine. Store in an airtight container in the freezer. Parmesan will not freeze solid; spoon out the portion needed.

Sour Cream

Makes 3/4 cup

• 1 (12 ounce) package firm silken tofu
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon agave nectar
• 3/4 teaspoon salt

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth.

Tofu Ricotta

• 2 bricks firm tofu
• 3 tablespoons oregano
• 2 tablespoons granulated garlic
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 4 tablespoons oil
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• Salt to taste
• Unsweetened soymilk, as needed

In the bowl of the food processor, combine all tofu ricotta ingredients except soymilk; pulse until ricotta-like consistency is achieved. Add soymilk if needed for a creamier, spreadable texture; set aside.

Soy Coffee Creamer

This recipe got us through the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy when, even if we could drive to stores, they were closed. MUST HAVE COFFEE!

Makes about 1 1/2 cup

• 1 1/8 cup plain soy milk
• 1/4 cup light vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup, or agave nectar, or 1 tablespoon sugar, or to taste
• Optional flavoring: 1/2 teaspoon vanilla and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon or 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• Optional thickener: 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch

Optional: For very thick creamer, whisk cornstarch into the 1 cup of soy milk; bring to a boil, and simmer until thickened. Cool, then proceed with recipe.

Place 1/8 cup soy milk in the blender. Blend a few seconds. Remove lid and add half the oil. Blend on high speed until mixed. With the blender running, carefully remove the lid and slowly stream in the remaining oil. Reduce blender speed to medium, and slowly stream in the syrup/sugar, and vanilla and cinnamon or almond if using. Increase blender speed to medium-high. Remove the lid and slowly drip the remaining 1 cup of soy milk (plain, or thickened with cornstarch) into the blender. Store refrigerated in a tightly sealed container such as a leftover agave bottle. Keeps for 2 weeks. Shake vigorously if it settles or separates.

Confectioners' (Powdered) Sugar

Don't bother buying special vegan (organic) confectioners' sugar, save money and cabinet space by making your own from regular organic white granulated sugar.

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch

Combine sugar and cornstarch in food processor or blender. Blend on high continuously until the mixture is of uniform powdered consistency. Keep the lid on the blender until the powder settles. Use immediately, or store in an air-tight container.

Sausage Crumbles

Makes about 2 cups

• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon sage
• 1 teaspoon granulated onion
• 1/2 teaspoon thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon granulated garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• Salt, to taste
• 1 cup boiling water
• 1 cup textured soy protein (TVP, TSP)
• 2 to 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

In a bowl having a lid, mix together soy sauce, sage, granulated onion, thyme, granulated garlic, fennel seeds, cayenne, black pepper and salt. Boil water and pour over mixture. Add TVP, mix with a fork, cover and let stand 10 minutes. When reconstituted, fluff with a fork. Taste and adjust seasonings.

Alternatively, in a 1-quart microwavable bowl having a lid, mix together water, soy sauce, sage, granulated onion, thyme, granulated garlic, fennel seeds, cayenne, black pepper, salt and TVP. Cover and microwave on HIGH about 5 minutes. If necessary, let stand a few minutes until TVP is fully reconstituted. Fluff with a fork. Taste and adjust seasonings.

Heat oil in a skillet on medium. Fry until well-browned, adding oil as needed if pan becomes too dry.