Post-Dairy

Dairy is a constant in any kitchen, but a vegan diet says NO to the diary! Which in reality is an incredibly positive thing! From the obvious ethical issues with our modern farming system pumping animals full of hormones and antibiotics, you wouldn't want to support that! And you really shouldn't be consuming these things either, there are serious side effects to that stuff!

So how can we go about replacing the harmful animal farmed dairy and replace it with something organic and veggie?

Milk

What options are out there for vegan milk? There's a few! Soy milk jumps to mind first, it's healthier than regular milk, is a natural byproduct of making tofu, and it's delicious! The only downsides are if you're allergic to soy, or just don't like soy. Surprisingly a lot of people don't like soy!

I suggest one of the two popular alternatives, coconut and almond. Almond milk is a pretty awesome alternative to milk, very low in calories and rich in healthy fats that vegans need. It also has a more neutral taste than coconut milk, and is best used when you need that! I also think the vanilla flavor tastes like Rice Krispies Treats cereal, a childhood favorite. Coconut milk is pretty amazing stuff as well. You will never eat an ice cream as rich and delicious as one made with coconut milk! Even in a can this is an incredibly useful milk/cream substitute. The big downside I have found with coconut milk is the strong coconut flavor, which can conflict.

BONUS COCONUT CONTENT!!!  
YOGURT!!!
             OM NOM NOM!!!


There are also hemp, rice, oat, and flax milks, I don't mean to skip them, I'm just not as familiar. A post for another day!

Butter

I promised alternatives on day one, you don't have to settle for Earth Balance. I am in no way bothered by Earth Balance, I use it at home. However, it is one of the most despised vegan products, even among vegans. So what else can I offer you? Blue Bonnet Light and Smart Balance Light are both dairy-free and available at most grocery stores. I would recommend you visit your local vegan store, or co-op, that will offer other more local brands of vegan butter substitutes. If you're not sure if it's dairy-free, look for whey, lactose, casein, and caseinate! Not vegan!

Eggs

Eggs are a lot harder to replace than milk or butter. For baking or batters there are commercial egg replacers, most all of them are just a powder that works as a replacement for a whole egg. Ener-G is a Seattle-based company that makes a great replacer, and Bob's Red Mill is an Oregon company that also makes a great alternative, and a million other things! And of course now we have the Vegg which is a yolk replacer! Of course if you're looking to make some scrambled eggs, tofu scrambles are the way to go!
 

Fake Meat

Meat! We don't eat it! 

But we do make a lot of meat substitutes! I have to apologize, I really meant to demonstrate how to make some of these substitutions for this blog, and maybe in the future I will! So for now, it's a comprehensively quick look at meat substitutions! 

Seitan 

So this is wheat gluten, seriously, it's a bread! But we don't use it like bread, it's dense and meaty in texture, and you can season it however you want, all you need is the wheat gluten! At the restaurant I work at we have seitan sausages on our pizza year round, all house made. But there's more to seitan than just vegan sausages! 

One of my absolute favorite meals from before I walked away from meat was chicken fried steak. Where I grew up; Houston, Tx; is the land of chicken fried steak, it's everywhere! And I never saw a vegan alternative, that's where seitan comes in, it makes an amazing substitute for the meat! 

Tempeh

My personal favorite for meat substitute, this is an amazing product! And it's a little gross to make, controlled fermentation binds soybeans into a cake. From there, the sky is the limit! Fake bacon? Make it tempeh bacon! Looking for a good stir fry? Tempeh works for all your needs! It's used pretty prolifically in Asia, and  is an important part of the cuisine, like many of our meat analogues.

Tofu

I really want to update this blog with an instruction guide to tofu. Tofu is such amazing stuff, as long as you don't hate soy! How can you complain about making tofu when it results in soy milk! There are different kinds of tofu dependent on what you it for. It's all about how firm it is, but it's so versatile. Tofu scrambles are awesome, not a fake meat in that form, but it's the best! Perhaps we should discuss dairy replacements?

Textured Vegetable Protein

Another soy product here, being allergic to soy is a real bummer when you're veggie, this is a soy flour concentrate that is sold as a dry good. It is high in protein and an amazing substitute for ground meat!
 

There's a great company from Seattle, Field Roast, that makes some really great meat substitutes! And you can find them at most of your local grocery stores! 

The Juice is Loose!

So I like juice, a lot, but I don't do juice like this, yet! No doubt you've seen documentaries such as, "Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead." Well this is what they were talking about! The juice is loose! 

Of course it's more than just kale to vegan juices, and drinking kale might scare you a bit, but please try the kale!

Juicing is an awesome way to get nutrients, and has been tip toeing on mainstream for decades thanks to Jack Lalanne. If you don't remember this guy, I don't know when you grew up! Stop calling me old!

So why Juice? 

What's the point in extracting juice instead of just eating the vegetables? Well, there's so much more you can absorb as the fiber has been extracted from the liquid, so your body gets to skip a step, and has a better chance to absorb all the good stuff! Bummer though, the fiber lost, you need fiber in your diet! Of course, you could make pulp chips... 

The greatest thing about juicing is the variety of fruits and vegetables you can include in your diet! Oh, and supplements, add all your supplements to your morning juice and be happy and healthy!

The Raw Diet

Raw Foods? 

Yes, yes to raw foods!

Ok, I've often wondered what a raw vegan ate, what constituted raw, and what the benefits were. Thankfully, the kind people of the internet are always happy to drop some knowledge on me!

You eat what?

Lots and lots of vegetables! Dumb answer, right? I agree! So the raw vegan is going to eat more or less the same kinds of food as other vegans, but nothing is cooked past 118 degrees fahrenheit. So vegetables, legumes, fruits, juices, and nuts. This is a seriously planned out diet, and there is a very beneficial wealth of knowledge online. And really it will depend on how you approach the diet, for heath or spirituality, they seem to have specific plans.

Juice, juicing is a big part of this diet! Most raw vegans juice, the same way Jack Lalanne has been telling us to get nutrients for years. We'll talk more about juice later.

Why?

Why ask why, try Bud Dry. Don't, please don't, it's not good beer! And that kind of beer is totally not raw! But the question is: Why adopt a raw vegan diet? It's all about nutrients, and what they believe are lost by cooking. Scientists insist that despite certain micro nutrients being lost, there are many others that are made accessible to our bodies by cooking. But this does not deter the raw vegan, and there are a number of benefits to eating raw.

So many diseases can be avoided or aided with the help of a raw vegan diet. A number of celebrities have adopted these diets, including former President Bill Clintion, who adopted a raw vegan diet after having heart related surgery. Remember, cholesterol comes from animals!

There are some risks with a raw diet, or any vegetable based diet, and that requires some vigilance to ensure you are getting all of your vitamins! It's important, especially if you're interested in going raw for health!

CA$H "Cheez" Money

We're making food! 

Well not really food, it's a condiment! We could make it food though... but not today!!!

Cashews are a gift from the vegan deities. Most nuts are, really, especially great for a raw vegan. Raw vegan, we should probably have a talk about that too. 

So how do we make cheese from nuts? That sounds insane! 

It's really not, it's so good, and there are so many cheeses you can make! Go buy THIS! 

2 C Raw Cashews

2 Cloves Garlic

2 T Olive Oil

2 T Nutritional Yeast

1/2 C Water

TT Lemon Juice

TT Salt and Pepper

Soak cashews overnight in enough water to cover them. Drain soaked cashews and rise, add to blender 1 C at a time. In between the cups of cashews add garlic and yeast so it is incorporated easier. Add remaining ingredients and blend, scraping sides of the blender as needed, you need the agitation Season with salt and pepper. 

Consistency wise you're looking for it to be smooth and spreadable. 

Use it like you would a sandwich spread, or a cream cheese! Your veggie burgers will never taste the same! 

On a side note, vegan cheeses are pretty commonly available, mostly from Daiya, and they are marketed as cheese substitutes, with melt-ability being a major part of the grade. But often overlooked are the raw cheeses, aged cashew and macadamia cheese? Seriously, just add some acidophilus to the blended nuts to create a live culture, and age! So good! We even have a company here in Portland, Heidi Ho Veganics, that is making some amazing vegan cheese! Support your local companies, buy vegan cheese! 

Vegan Pet Food

What? Seriously? 

Yes. I buy a lot of meat, well not a lot, but for me it's a lot, and it all goes to my cat. She's not even your typical cat that likes fish, in fact she hates the stuff! She only wants the least ethically raised meat, chicken and beef. Of course I can't force our diet on our cat, it doesn't seem natural, but neither does the cheap food we feed her. So I turned to the internet! Let's find out about vegan pet food! 

For something like this, we have to split it into two different arguments:  Health and Ethics.

So what's not kosher about forcing your beliefs on something that relies on you to have its best interest at heart? Lots.

What's natural for the animal?

In nature, would your companion eat meat? Probably, they'll eat plants too, it aids digestion. But what are we feeding them from a can? Is it natural? Something the animal would eat in nature? Probably not! It's often diseased meat that's not deemed suitable for human consumption, and the industry simply adds things to make the food more appealing to our pets. And that's not restricted to meat-based foods, even our herbivore pets are being fed GMO products based on grains they're not adapted to eat.

Options, there are always options. 

Simply buy better food for your pets. Keep allowing your animals to eat meat, put aside your feelings of grief associated with buying and using animal products, and be happy that you're supporting an organic alternative to the current industrial system. Or go the extra mile and visit a raw pet foods store! Here's one in Sellwood, Natural Pet Food Solutions.

Or you can develop a meat-free diet for your pet! This route is more involved, and you will NEED SUPPLEMENTS! Your pet needs certain things from their food, and their bodies do not process food the same way as humans do. So you need to do some research and find out exactly what it is that your pet will not be getting through their new veggie-based diet. It is very important that their diet be supplemented. You do not want your cat dying from liver failure, it can happen very quickly!

But is it ethical?

That is a more difficult question, and will vary from person to person. Obviously you came to a decision in your life to no longer consume animal-based products or meat. And if honestly go the extra mile to completely cut off all sources of animal product you can, then I completely understand the desire to change your pet's diet as well. There are cancers and diseases associated with eating meat, particularly meat from our current agricultural system, and large benefits to eliminating those same things. So why not try and give your pet the same healthy lifestyle you've chosen? I couldn't tell you. But if you do, you need to be careful! 

Don't hurt the ones you love. 

Vegan Cat/Dog Food

Drunken Veg

In keeping with this week's theme of "location, location, location!", I'm going to talk about where to get a late night meal, meat-free!

I come from the foreign nation of Texas, and having played in bands for years I'm used to a definite lack of late night options. Mostly just drive-thru; if you're up really late, What-a-burger might be doing breakfast. Oh, and that magical wonderland, Denny's. It's all generally pretty terrible though, meat everywhere, something you will regret, but you avoided a worse hangover! But of course now I work nights as a cook, and we like to drink too! 

Here in Portland though, you have options, lots of them! 

So what do you do? Do you eat at the bar, or take a chance on a food cart? Why not both? 

We'll start with bars though, got to love the OLCC forcing places to serve food; if not, I don't know if we would have so many vegan bars! Here's a few on my side of the river:

Bye and Bye 

Open until 2:00 am

Representing the very veggie friendly neighborhood of Alberta in NE Portland, we have the Bye and Bye! This place has all kinds of unique vegan food and drink, replicating non-vegan recipes and developing some original ideas as well. Lots of options for food here, and it's all vegan! 

Sweet Hereafter (Yelp link...)

Open until 2:30 am

Southeast Portland! So if you're too cool for school, this is your place. The food is good, drinks are great, but this place has that special service you see all too often in Portland, pretentious and rude! It's not that bad of a thing, the patrons are usually pretty nice, and like I said, the food and drinks are good. 

The Conquistador 

Open until 2:30 am

Another one located out in Southeast Portland! So this is a change of pace from the last two bars, since those are pretty similar. This is a vegetarian bar, but tons of vegan options, and tequila! This is a great place to get a drink and some greasy Mexican food. 

What about carts?

Sadly there aren't a ton of carts open late night right now; it seems people get skittish of sitting out in the cold and rain, but bar patrons fear no such things! I mean, come on, I'm drunk! 

Fear not drunk reader! There are places you can go! 

Gonzo! 

Open until 12:00 am on weekends

Located off 11th and Oak in SE Portland as part of the Base Camp Brewery, this place has my favorite falafel in town. And last time I was there the owner mentioned vegan shawarma being added to the menu soon, and I can't wait! They do have meat in this cart, fair warning, it's only one dish, but it might bother some vegans. 

Potato Champion

Open until 3:00 am

This is a local tourist trap! Seriously though, after a night of hard drinking there is little that will sober you up like this cart. They have veggie poutine! Never thought I would see such a thing, never saw poutine until I moved here! They have other veggie options, just be sure to specify when ordering or you might be eating something you don't want to. The lot they're on also houses Whiffies Fried Pies, and Pyro Pizza, both open late and have great vegan options.

Voodoo Donuts

Open 24 hours a day

Why am I linking this to my blog? Because they have vegan options and they're open late! It really is a hard place to avoid in Portland, everybody coming to visit wants to go there, so why not get them drunk first? Maybe they'll like the food more! 

And if you don't feel like going to a bar or a cart to get your veggie noms, there's always Sizzle Pie, best pizza this side of heavy metal and open until 4! And remember, these are just the places near me, there's always new things opening, and with spring approaching, food will once again flood the city!