Quick & easy vegan food

[Healthy]

This is going to sound disgusting, but it's really yummy (even people that aren't vegan or health conscious loved this).

You blend a soft avocado; a banana; and one clove of garlic.

It comes out like a whipped guacomole and you can put it over greens or dip carrots/chips in it.

It's so filling and a great way to get your greens if you are bored with salad dressings.

[bradders]

that does not sound appealing

[mariana]

Hmm, it doesn't sound very appealing to me either (banana + avocado? hehe), but I love avocado, so maybe I'll give it a try sometime.

[Qaxt]

My best friend is allergic to onions (and maybe garlic, but he says he doesn't think so) and is an omnivore. EVERYTHING I cook has garlic and/or onions in it (usually as a main flavor). I am completely lost.

What are some things that I could cook that are easy/quick (this is optional, really, but preferred), onion- and garlic-free (most important), and omni-friendly (preferred, but again optional)? You don't necessarily have to give a recipe; a name/description will suffice if you could pleeease!

[harpy]

I think all vegan recipes are omni-friendly but onion-free is slightly more of a challenge. You could try Googling for Jain recipes as they are vegetarians who don't use onions or garlic (or eggs I don't think); they do sometimes use dairy produce but you can easily substitute that.

In general I would think the onions and garlic can be left out of many/most recipes; other flavourings such as herbs, spices and lemon juice can ensure the result isn't bland. For example you could make a vegetable stir-fry without garlic and flavour it with stuff like ginger, star anise and maybe coconut instead.

[Buddha Belly]

i think hare Krishna's are onion/ garlic free too. There is the Higher Tatse cook book.

[Roxy]

Yes, the Hare Krishna's don't use onions or garlic.

I'm interested in these kinds of recipes too - I'm trying to cute down on the amount of onion that I eat lately as well.

[loveganism]

There's this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asafoetida#Cooking
That can be added as flavour instead of onion/garlic

[fiamma]

Why not just try omitting the onion in recipes you like? There's a great tofu scramble recipe in "La Dolce Vegan"; it has onion but also has a lot of other flavourings and I'm sure it would lend itself well to onion-omittance

Basically you just mash your tofu and add tamari/soy sauce, nutritional yeast, minced garlic, Dijon mustard, sage, thyme, salt, pepper, fry in a little olive oil, then once it's nice and browned, add a chopped fresh tomato.

[Cherry]

That sounds lovely! I'm really into scrambled tofu after having it at Pogo. Omnis are sometimes a bit iffy about tofu though, aren't they? I agree - I'm sure missing out the onion from your favourite recipes wouldn't be the end of the world!

[fiamma]

It is a great recipe, Cherry Oh, I forgot the turmeric in that list of ingredients... I know what you mean about omnis and tofu; maybe Qaxt could just present it to his friend without revealing what it is?

ETA: Oh sorry, Qaxt, didn't read the bit about garlic... just miss that out too, I always do

[buttons]

i just made a really great spaghetti sauce thst could be converted to vegie burger patties or vegan chilli without much effort. It had
veggie mince(the stuff made from soybeans)
finely grated carrot
garlic
capsicum
tomato paste
tinned diced tomato
spices of choice (cumin, pepper, chili, oregano)

and the special ingredient...

gin!

[Ben H.]

This isn't exactly healthy but if you want something fast, easy, and tasty, it's a great recipe. You can buy all of these products at your local whole foods or health food store.

You will need:
A bag of your favorite tortilla chips
a block of follow your heart vegan gourmet cheddar cheese(it is important that you use this brand because it melts)
vegan ground hamburger substitute(I prefer lightlife smart grounds)
a can of lard-free refried beans
a bottle of your favorite hot sauce
one ripe avocado
tofutti "better than sour cream"

First cook your ground hamburger substitute in a pan over the stove. Pour a generous amount of the hot sauce in the pan and stir occasionally. The hamburger subsitute will absorb the flavor of the hot sauce. Next, place as many tortilla chips as you want on a large plate. Now use a cheese grater to grate our non-dairy cheddar cheese. Spread the cheese as evenly as possible on the chips. Put the plate in the microwave for approximately one minute or until the cheese is melted. Now, in a separate bowl we prepare our refried beans. It will be too thick to spread on the chips so I usually add a splash of water and stir until I get the right consistency. Cook refried beans in the microwave for approximatly two minutes or until hot. Use a spoon to distribute the refried beans over the nachos evenly. Now we pile on our hamburger substitute over the beans. To make guacamole, simply cut an avocado in half and remove the peel and seed. Put the flesh of the avocado in a blender or food processor. Add a dash of sea salt for taste. Blend until it is a creamy consistency. Apply to the top of the nachos with a spoon. To top it off, add a spoonfull of Tofutti "better than sour cream". You may also add picco de gallo or pickled jalapenos. Serve to your party guests. They'll be shocked it's vegan.

[ellaminnowpea]

This is soooooo boy food! Hahaha! I havent tried the FYH cheese yet. Though, veganrella is pretty awesome.
T'would be something to convert omnis, though!

[fiamma]

Great recipe, thanks for posting.

However...

You can buy all of these products at your local whole foods or health food store.

Speak for yourself... unfortunately No vegan cheese or tofutti at my health food store

[JC]

Fiamma, i noticed you're in Bologna. I'm going to Ancona this summer (well, Arcevia) - do you happen to know if there are any good shops for vegans around there? Or which Italian supermarkets are ok?

[Tigress]

Mexican has to be my all time favourite food choice. You cannot beat bean enchilladas .... yummmmmm

[jonmcd]

I've been vegan for about 4 years and vegetarian for 7 or 8. When i first started i really didn't care about my diet at all, but I'm starting to get more health conscious. The problem is that I'm sort of lazy and not really that into cooking (unless it tastes really good and its easy) I've been trying to cut white grains and soy products out of my diet. Since i stopped eating so much processed soy i feel a lot better.

My question is does anyone know of any amazing quick vegan recipes that are healthy, with no soy and a good amount of protein?

Thanks to anyone who has any tips!

[Roxy]

This was posted by LittleSeaWolf in another thread. I make it quite often and we get several meals out of it. It's cheap, easy and full of protein

HOBO CASSEROLE ( lol)Vegetable cooking spray
1 c. onion, chopped
1/2 c. green pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can kidney beans, drained(or soaked equiv)
1 can pinto beans, drained(or soaked equiv)
1 (16 oz.) can tomatoes, chopped, juice and all
1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce
1 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. mustard
1/8 tsp. hot sauce(I like Tapatio)

BREAD MIXTURE:
1 c. yellow corn meal
1 c. flour
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. sugar
1 1/2 c. soy milk (substitute rice milk or another vegan milk if you like)
1/2 c. egg substitute (i omitted this alltogether)
3 tbsp. Canola oil (if desired)
1 (8 1/2 oz.) can cream style corn

Spray skillet with vegetable cooking spray, saute onion, green peppers and garlic until tender. May add 1/4 cup water if desired. Stir in beans and next 7 ingredients. Cover and cook 5 minutes. Pour into 9x13 baking dish. Set aside.Combine meal and flour with next 3 ingredients, add to dry mixture next 4 ingredients. Mix well. Spoon evenly over bean mixture to within 1 inch of edge, all around.
Bake at 375 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes or until corn bread is done.

[RubyDuby]

couscous is quick. boil water then add an equal amt couscous to it. cover for 5 minutes.

I then add canned black beans, canned diced tomatoes and some diced onion.
Dress it with a few tablespoons red wine vinegar, olive oil and salt and pepper.

It's really simple and really tasty.

[Roxy]

That sounds lovely Ruby. You could even throw in some cashews or pistachios for some extra protein.

[RubyDuby]

mmm yeah, or boil peanuts in the water.

[Goblin]

Hey! Firstly, it's great that you want to make the change! I think you should read a book called Vegan Freak, it's fantastic for vegetarians to help them become vegan, and to help vegans stay vegan in a non-vegan world! I think to make the transition more comfortable, use the recipes you already enjoy but replace the milk with soya milk, etc, or if you are a big egg on toast fan or whatever, replace them for simple mushroom burgers, for example. There are so many recipes and books out there but it's still a good idea to modify the veggie recipes youre fond of.

Heres a great moroccan-ish curry recipe, its my mums:

Garlic, red onions, boiled potatoes, curry powder, 4-5 tins of tomatoes, chick peas and every other tinned lentils you can find! rice to serve

fry the garlic and onions in olive oil.
put the rice and potatoes seperately of course, to boil.
add the curry powder (about 1 teaspoon) to the garlic and onions and cook on a low heat
rinse the lentils and add to the cooking pot. when these have cooked through for about 10 mins while stirring, add the tinned chopped tomatoes. cook through until it's boiling, chop potatoes in half and add to the mix. keep boiling and taste, you may want to add more curry powder and garlic, and maybe a dash or 2 of soy sauce.
this should take about half an hour, serve with rice and vegan sausages! Yummy!!

take care, go vegan ;-)

[herbwormwood]

Quick and Easy Beef Style Jalfrezi

You will need:

3 leeks:
1 tablespoon frozen petit pois ;
1 carrot;
1 pack Grassington's Beef style Veggie "meatballs";
1 jar Co-op Jalfrezi sauce;
1 tablespoon vegetable oil.



* Fry the leeks and carrots in the oil in a large saucepan until they are starting to go a little crispy, then add the frozen veggie balls.
* Continue to cook on a medium heat until the balls have softened and look done, about 15 minutes should be enough.
* Then add the frozen peas and sauce and cook for the time it says on the jar... another 15 or 20 minutes. Cover the pan at this point.
* Stir occasionally to make sure the sauce does not stick, reducing heat if necessary, and adding a little water if required.
* Serve with rice or nan bread.

A little salad goes very well with this meal, we had sliced tomatoes, sliced chinese leaf, and sliced cucumber in a light french dressing.

[Jivattatva]

I have posted asian influenced recipes on my blog. The site address in on my profile.
I have there, sweet potato and corn in coconut cream, spring rolls, gingery cabbage and cream of potato soup. They are very easy to do and do not take much to prepare.

[vw misfit]

Hi

i was after a few ideas of quick and easy meals that i can cook. At the moment i get in from work 6ish and within 5 mins i have to go striaght out with son for his football training 3 nights a week so usually get home around 8:30- 9:00. i then have to cook a meal as quick as and at the moment its usually a pasta dish which i know is not great to be eating late at night especially for my son who goes to bed around 10.

So after ideas that i can prepare the day before that could be heated up for him when he gets in from school but is not going to be to "heavy" on his stomach for him to be doing exercise an hour later or something that can be cooked quick later but not full of carbs.

[Peanuts]

Stir-fries are very quick and easy. Lots of veggies/tofu/cashew nuts etc. You could then use either ready made stir-fry sauces or just something like soy sauce. Serve with microwave rice or see if you can find quick-cook noodles of some sort.

You could also try cooking something in a big batch then freezing portions. Take required amount out in the morning and let it defrost, then reheat when he gets back from school. Maybe vegetable soup?

I don't think pasta is any worse to be eating before bed than anything else, just make sure it's not too much food. Carbs (if I remember rightly anyway) apprently help you sleep or something like that so it's not all bad! If you are bothered about it though then maybe just have more snack-type carbs, like toast w/PBJ, porridge or cereal as a before bed meal.

Personally, I'd slpit dinner between the two times on those three night, so have sandwiches before football then come back home and have something light like soup, cereal or a small bowl of whatever your normal dinner foods would be (I used to do this when I had yoga classes from 7-10). You could also try making a bit extra on the nights he doesn't have football then eating leftovers on the days he does.

[cedarblue]

how about pre-made cauliflower 'cheeze'
a vegan take on kebabs (vegan meat substitute or tofu chunks, salad, hummus, chilli sauce etc stuffed in pitta breads)
baked beans on toast (meal fit for kings)
soup is a good idea like peanuts said
jacket potato baking while you are out with light topping
pre-made thing like cottage/shepherds pie
pre-prepped pizza, just bake when you get in
light thai broths with tofu & veg in, premade just add noodles when you get in and warm up

just a few possibles?

good luck x

[vw misfit]

Thanks to both of you some tasty options there will give it them a try

[Trish.thomp]

Hi I am a lapsed vegan who jumped back on board today! I was given the link to this thread as I wanted some quick recipes, there are some great ideas on here, so thank you! I couldn't find a pasta sauce in Tesco that didn't have milk in and the pesto too! Which brand is okay?

[Blueberries]

Hi I am a lapsed vegan who jumped back on board today! I was given the link to this thread as I wanted some quick recipes, there are some great ideas on here, so thank you! I couldn't find a pasta sauce in Tesco that didn't have milk in and the pesto too! Which brand is okay?

Heya, welcome back to veganism! You should be able to get a standard tomato sauce in Tesco, in glass jars with all the bolognaise sauces. As for pesto you probably won't be able to get a vegan (or even a vegetarian) one in Tesco. Maybe some of the sun-dried tomato ones, but not basil ones. I love Zest vegan pesto, I've only ever seen it in health food shops but its the nicest pesto ever, so its definately worth the extra trip!

[Firestorm]

Hi
Homebargains currently has Rosie's pasta sauce (two kinds - both labelled vegan), also B&M bargains sells Bonner sauces which label if they are suitable for vegans.
You can get Meridian pesto in Sainsburys, they also make Vegan white/creamy pasta sauces & curry sauces but you might have to go to a health food shop for those or online (also not all of their products are vegan but they do state on the jar if they are)

[Trish.thomp]

Thank you, I didn't get through reading all the jars, will have to go back in and check all of them! I will have to find a good health food shop too as our local one closed and I love pesto.

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Thank you Firestorm too, I will check out the Sainsburys range and the other brands you mentioned. It's nice to see a few things labelled vegan now.

[alexstability]

I made pasta last night, the sauce was so easy! You put three cloves of garlice, some olive oil, and the juice of half a lemon in the food processor, until smooth, add one avocado, a handful of fresh basil leaves, and some salt, again until smooth. I served it with some linguine pasta and pine nuts, it was great. BUT the best part of it, is that it's the best sandwich spread I've ever used. So much better than on the pasta. for lunch today I made a sandwich with the spread, some veganaise, mustard, tomato, sprouts, fresh cracked black pepper, and red pepper flakes. I ate it for breakfast at work because I couldn't wait until lunch to find out if it was good or not. Also because I ran out of brown sugar for my usual oatmeal and without it what's the point really haha but Seriously if you like garlic, avocados and sandwiches, I insist you make a batch of this stuff and skip the pasta but make some lunch!!!

[Blueberries]

Everybody's definition of 'quick and easy' varies but I make a really nice lentil soup which is just red lentils and stock boiled up together with some nutritional yeast thrown in at the end and blended. 3 ingredients, a pot and a blender is easy to me, but I understand if for some having to wait for the lentils to boil or having to use the blender disqualifies it from being quick. I just love making soup

[Gattona]

Broccoli and pasta.

Boil broccoli, fry soft broccoli in olive oil with garlic, pine nuts too if you want.

Cook pasta in the water you cooked the broccoli in. Mix all together with nutritional yeast YUM!

Apparantly, though I've not tried it, you can also do alternate layers of pasta and broccoli, top with breadcrumbs and grill. Its meant to end up as something you can slice into wedges but I'm not sure I believe in the breadcrumbs like that. If anyone does experiment I'd be interested to hear how it turns out.

[Blueberries]

Red lentils and rice. If you're using white rice put the lentils and rice in a pot with boiling water and heat for about 15 minutes with stock and spices. For brown rice you'll need to cook it for about 10/15minutes first before the lentils go in. One pot meals are easy

[Blueberries]

Stew is such an easy meal to make, just throw whatever you have in the fridge/freezer in a big pot with some stock and whatever seasoning you like and when the veg are softened it's done! I made an Irish stew today with potatoes, carrots, broccoli, onion and seitan. I put a bit of Marmite in the stock with herbs to make it more like traditional stew.

[rwa]

Try this, Enjoy!

Spiralise one whole medium zucchini. Make the sauce out of two diced tomatoes and fresh basil leaves. Sprinkle on hemp seeds for the "parmesan cheese" effect. Enjoy!

[TJ]

fruit is food. Preperation time is zero for many fruits, and many more only require peeling or splitting.

agreed!

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I would recommend staying away from very processed foods as much as possible. I tend to cook w/ a lot of fresh ingredients and avoid boxed, canned, packaged foods whenever possible. I heard someone state once "the longer it can live on the shelf the worse it is for you." I would be inclined to agree.

I try to cook for the week ahead on the weekend. So stir fry, sauteed veggies w/ homemade hummus, fresh bread, pastas w/ lots of veggies, soups, etc are usually what we have for lunches. Just my 2 cents.

[roccom23]

When I am in a hurry for lunch I have a few of vegan sandwiches/wraps which I like to prepare.

One of my favorites is is lettuce, tomato, chopped carrots, cucumbers and sprouts on a couple
of slices of sprouted grain bread or tortilla. I like to warm my bread/tortilla first.

Then I will either add Veganaise, or some hummus.

There is a great recipe book I have which has a few great ideas for vegan sandwich spreads
as well.

I will look for it, and post a couple of the recipes.

Also if you make a pot of soup on the weekend, you can bring it for lunch when you are in a rush.

[Blueberries]

I'm sure that it has already been mentioned but for hurried lunches for work or school (ie making them jut before you leave the house in the morning, like I sometimes do!) you can't beat cous-cous. Put it in some boiling water with some chopped leafy greens, add pre-cooked or tinned beans (or seitan or any cooked protein you have lying around the fridge) and some sauce and you're ready to go. I like to use pesto or chilli peanut sauce as I find that sauces with a bit of fat in them keep better in lunchboxes (rather than tomato sauce, for example).

[roccom23]

I am so excited to share my vegan recipe book, Salad Meals, with you all for free. A lot of time and love went into creating this book, and it is being offered on Amazon for free as part of a special promotion this weekend. Here is the link.

http://www.amazon.com/Salad-Meals-Ve...ds=vegan+meals

I have great superfood dressing recipes which are quick, and easy to prepare, and with little modification can be turned into dips, sandwich/wrap spreads, and condiments. I even have some vegan dessert dressings, and vegan fillings for cakes.


Amazon's free promotion will end Sunday at 12am
Get your free copy now.

I can't wait to hear your feedback.

[Blueberries]

My quick and easy dinner was spaghetti, half a tin of bean/veg mixture and houmous all mixed up together.

I realise the cooking spaghetti is not quick & easy to everyone, you could use microwaveable rice or pasta to make it quicker and not have to boil water and get out a pot.

[Firestorm]

A few days ago I did spag bol using a tin of spaghetti hoops & soya mince

[Blueberries]

A few days ago I did spag bol using a tin of spaghetti hoops & soya mince

Haha brilliant!

[tperry1982]

As a new vegan, I definitely was looking for lunch items that remind me of my usual lunches. I have always liked to have some sort of luncheon meat with crackers at my desk. To replace that, I have been trying different versions of Tofurky deli slices. The peppered and the roast beef style are great. I am sitting her at my desk now eating them on multigrain flatbreads.

[Blueberries]

As a new vegan, I definitely was looking for lunch items that remind me of my usual lunches. I have always liked to have some sort of luncheon meat with crackers at my desk. To replace that, I have been trying different versions of Tofurky deli slices. The peppered and the roast beef style are great. I am sitting her at my desk now eating them on multigrain flatbreads.

That sounds really good tperry!

[Casstyson]

I have been trying different versions of Tofurky deli slices. The peppered and the roast beef style are great.

I have yet to find a faux meat I can tolerate. I've been vegan now for a year and a half. I've tried quite a few of them. I have yet to buy one twice. Mostly I just say no...

The only exception is frozen ground hamburger substitute, which I use in chili and spaghetti sauce. But I use it only for the omnis I have to feed. I'm happy with straight up veggies.

Cass

[Robinwomb]

An excellent subsitute for hamburger is believe it or not...cooked bulgur wheat. This stuff is amazing. I use it as a taco "meat" with various seasonings/spices and tomato paste for tacos. I have used it in tomato sauce with red lentils and vegetables for a spaghetti sauce. I have used it with homemade (vegan) country gravy over vegan homemade bisquits or bannock bread and frozen mixed vegetables as a sausage substitute. I have used it as a sloppy joe mix to go in sandwiches. The texture is very much like hamburger and when you throw in spices, sauces, etc you honestly can not tell the difference (except that it obviously has no fat). My omnivore husband actually likes it better as a taco meat than hamburger. I have used lentils, tempeh, homemade seitan (from vital wheat gluten I prepared), wild rice, and other ingredients to make a faux meat before, but the bulgur wheat discovery is by far the best so far for me. I make a big batch and store it in the refrigerator and have it on hand for all these recipes. It also makes a nice tabouli and makes a nice hot breakfast cereal with fresh berries and cinammon. It cooks very quickly.

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Also, I discovered a soy free homemade mayonaise recipe that is very quick to make (though you have to wait a few hours for it to get cold in the refrigerator):
http://www.healthfulpursuit.com/2013...an-mayonnaise/

I used way less oil than she uses in her recipe, maybe half, but doubled the amount of nuts (I used blanched almonds in place of the cashews as I have an intolerance to cashews) and I added just a little dijon mustard. I added it to a cold whole wheat pasta salad with raw veggies and canned chickpeas and again my omnivore husband raved over it and would never have guessed it was made with just a few simple ingredients and no soy or egg/dairy etc. So much better than the store bought veganaise IMO.