PDA

View Full Version : Vegan haggis



Pages : [1] 2

Evilfluffbunny
Apr 9th, 2005, 07:36 PM
I've realised that one of my favourite 'treat' meals is made by a chain of family butchers (Macsween's) so I'd rather not buy it anymore. It's so damn tasty though! Has anyone tried any other nice vegan haggises/haggisis (haggi? :confused: )?

gertvegan
Apr 9th, 2005, 08:23 PM
When we purchase vegan products from companies that manufacturer items we would rather not support, we are using our money to vote for the vegan products. Manufacturers track consumer purchases, and if the items we use are getting lots of votes, companies will not only continue to produce them but will expand these lines. If we do not purchase them, companies will believe there is no market for them, and they will be dropped.

Therefore the products we appreciate and value may be put on the shelves of major grocery stores where they will be accessible not only to us but to the average consumer and could possibly have a broad influence on the public’s buying habits and tastes.

I understand how you feel Evilfluffbunny. I guess its each to their own. I tried the vegan haggis (http://www.macsween.co.uk/veg_haggis.htm) a while ago but wasn't overly impressed. Will have to try it again. :)

Evilfluffbunny
Apr 9th, 2005, 09:47 PM
I'm kind of 50/50 about it. It's great that they make a vegan friendly alternative but I can't decide how to look at it - keep buying the product and prove to them that there is a market for veggie alternatives, or refuse to buy from them, which would mean not supporting a chain of butcher shops, but also not supporting their 'step in the right direction'. Also, have they only made the haggis so that they're getting money from both ends of the market (like Campbells Meat Ltd bringing out their version of a veggie burger)? :confused:

Gorilla
Apr 9th, 2005, 10:07 PM
i've seen that vegan haggis in a health food shop, and was thinking about buying it but now i'm not so sure. it's a difficult question about whether to support it or not - it seems down to the individual as to which companies should be supported for providing a vegan alternative, and which should still be avoided.... :confused:

Glen
Apr 10th, 2005, 06:02 PM
I'm kind of 50/50 about it. It's great that they make a vegan friendly alternative but I can't decide how to look at it - keep buying the product and prove to them that there is a market for veggie alternatives, or refuse to buy from them, which would mean not supporting a chain of butcher shops, but also not supporting their 'step in the right direction'. Also, have they only made the haggis so that they're getting money from both ends of the market (like Campbells Meat Ltd bringing out their version of a veggie burger)? :confused:
Of course they are only doing it for the money, but at the end of the day, if that means we get more variety then so be it! I think the companies already realise there is a rather decent market for vegan food, so therefore I feel that not buying it will show that they need to improve it.

DoveInGreyClothing
Apr 10th, 2005, 06:29 PM
I'm all for supporting new vegan lines if it makes veganism more accessible and thus finds new recruits to the vegan lifestyle.

bulletproof
Apr 10th, 2005, 07:43 PM
grossage

Evilfluffbunny
Apr 10th, 2005, 11:05 PM
grossage

Is that a type of sausage? :p

Flame7
Apr 30th, 2005, 07:27 PM
Oh vegan haggis!!! youve got me drooling now :D Ive never actually had any of the macsweens stuff but theres an amazing shop in edinburgh that makes it (the baked potato shop) and its the most amazing thing Ive ever tasted. I got hold of the recipe (there are quite a few online) and made it myself several times (apparently haggis is the name for the mixture inside rather than the 'sheeps stomach' thing, or so Ive been told). Do a search for vegan haggis and have a go, its absolutely gorgeous!!!

xxFlame7

Evilfluffbunny
Jun 2nd, 2005, 01:08 PM
Sorry, I didn't realise there were more replies to this thread!

I actually go to that baked potato shop quite often and our favourite thing to get is a baked potato stuffed with haggis & beans. I wasn't sure I'd like it the first time but it's lovely! :)

Thanks for the tip - I'll look for recipes online. I'd never bothered doing it before as I thought it was a 'secret'. :D

Realfood Mary
Jun 2nd, 2005, 01:12 PM
Send us the recipes! Turn this into a Haggis thread!

Oh, now I am hungry. :mad:

Jo
Jan 29th, 2006, 11:28 AM
I served up a vegan haggis, tatties, neeps and gravy to 8 of my non veggie friends yesterday. They didn't even notice! I put out butter but hardly any bothered with it. I'm not sure how vegan all the whisky consumed was though, that's the sort of part of being vegan I find tricky.............:(
I'm going to have a go on Google now and try and find out.

Spiral
Jan 29th, 2006, 11:42 AM
Whiskey is fine Jo as are all other spirits unless they are red in which case they may contain cochineal as a colouring agent.

I had some vegan haggis (shop bought not homemade) at christmas and it was quite nice but a little crumbly.

oldsilverhead
Jan 29th, 2006, 11:54 AM
In our house,shop bought haggis is a favourite:p(I believe the crumbly texture is intentional) but I intend to venture to have a go at this...

Haggis from Scotland

Ingredients (use vegan versions):

2oz rolled oats
2oz pinhead oatmeal
2oz mixed chopped nuts
2 oz non-hydrogenated vegan margarine
1 large carrot
4oz mushrooms
1 large onion
small can kidney beans (drained)
2 oz vegetarian suet
1/2 teaspoon yeast extract
1 tablespoon (or more!) whisky
1 teaspoon (at least) freshly ground black pepper
juice 1/2 lemon (or 1 lime)
3 teaspoons of dried mixed herbsDirections:


1. Melt half the margarine in an ovenproof saucepan / casserole. Add oats, oatmeal and nuts and cook for 3 minutes. Put in bowl.
2. Chop carrot, mushrooms onion and kidney beans finely (food processor very handy here!). Melt rest of margarine, add chopped veg, and cook for anoth 2 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients, and the oat mixture. Cook for 5 minutes.
3. Transfer to medium over for 40 minutes.
Traditionally, serve with "bashet neeps" (mashed swede) and "mashet tatties" (mashed potatoes) and copious amounts of whisky. Also goes well with roast onions (put in the oven 10 minutes before the haggis). (The fat content can be reduced by halving (or removing) the suet. If this is done, check it isn't getting too dry, and add some veggie stock if neccessary.) Also traditionally served on Jan 25th (Robert Burns Birthday) with some suitably poor poetry!

and this...

Neeps

4 large turnips
50g margerine
2 teaspoons caster sugar
1 teaspoon salt
Peel and quarter the turnips. Boil for 25 minutes or until soft. Drain and mash, adding the marg,sugar and salt.

For the hopeless romantics amongst you lend your ear to this...
http://www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/history/burnsnight/poetry/red_red_rose.shtml

oldsilverhead

Mr Flibble
Jan 29th, 2006, 12:25 PM
Whiskey is fine Jo as are all other spirits unless they are red in which case they may contain cochineal as a colouring agent.

:eek: That's some of the most irresponsible advice I've ever heard online!

Not all spirits are vegan, not just the red ones. Appart from the ones which contain milk/cream (Baileys, Dooleys etc), animal ingrediants are also sometimes used in production just as they are in wine. Sherry production involves wine and most postuguese port is filtered with geletine. Also some brands use flavourings in their spirits and will not reveal their secret recipes. There's lists available online, such as this one (http://www.vegetarian.ie/spir.htm) which have spirits listed as vegetarian but not vegan and I've certainly seen animal ingrediants listed on bottles which contain ingrediants.

cedarblue
Jan 29th, 2006, 01:09 PM
waitrose sell a vegan/veggie haggis on the chilled shelves by the meat slices :( .....bought one yesterday in fact for a tea this week, i like them :)

Jo
Jan 29th, 2006, 02:15 PM
Yes , I know that lots of wines, spirits and beers aren't vegan. The whisky I was drinking last night was Bowmore's so ok I believe. I found a different list with more brands on it.
The haggis recipe I used was very similar to your's OSH. However, I couldn't locate any veggie suet so did without - just added a little extra whisky and water. Also decided to throw in a tin of green lentils which have only just appeared in the supermarkets here. Couldn't get pinhead oatmeal either so spent ages chopping up whole organic oats! It was quite therapeutic and very successful. I find that there is always a way of substituting and being inventive when I can't get ingredients.
I have had a few different bought veggie haggises but the one last night beat them all. All the guests were very happy, they reckoned it was better than the meaty one. Oh, I also adjusted Burn's 'To a Haggis' so it was a veggie version which amused my guests!:D

oldsilverhead
Jan 29th, 2006, 02:40 PM
Please share your veganised haggis poem Jo!


oldsilverhead

Jo
Jan 29th, 2006, 03:00 PM
Sorry, I've thrown it away! :(It was just the English version of the Burn's poem (found in Google). I substituted 'oat, bean and nut' instead of the meaty bits and popped in veggie in front of haggis where I could. I think that was all.

BadBoredBony
Jan 29th, 2006, 08:55 PM
i LOVE vegan haggis... yummie :D !

bbb
xxx

Spiral
Feb 2nd, 2006, 10:48 AM
:eek: That's some of the most irresponsible advice I've ever heard online!
From the Animal Free shopper:
"The production of spirits does not usually involve the use of animal substances. However, some red drinks may contain cochineal/carmine as a colouring agent."

That's the last time I consult that book! :D
I was thinking of bog standard whiskey, gin, vodka etc, not things such as Bailey's which obviously contain milk products or sherry or port which are fortified wines.

Mr Flibble
Feb 2nd, 2006, 11:36 AM
i read that in the animal free shopper too, i figured it's where you got it from :)

Thankfully yes, a lot of basic spirits are vegan, but not all. In the UK Co-op are good at labelling their spirits as vegan or non vegan, some of the stuff they do is fair trade too.

Skajen
Feb 2nd, 2006, 11:51 AM
I think HALLS haggis is vegan, its vegetarian society approved and doesn't appear to contain any animal products. Silly thing is Morrissons put it in their meat section, how many veggies/vegans go down the meat aisle? anyway my mum is under instruction to buy 3-4 everytimes she see's them as they're a bit here today gone tomorrow?! but yes...they're bloody lovely :)

Mr Flibble
Feb 2nd, 2006, 11:56 AM
i don't remember the brand, but there's one which has been around for at least 1.5 years and I see it everynow and then. If you're desperate I can tell you somewhere within a 1 hour commute of guildford that sells them ;)

oldsilverhead
Feb 2nd, 2006, 01:34 PM
Macsween of Edinburgh ;)

oldsilverhead