The Time Has Come To Veganise
Whether you’re embracing meat-free Mondays right now or are considering going vegan full-time, one pressing concern is likely playing on your mind - how the hell can you kiss goodbye to your favorite recipes? We all have those go-tos that never fail to put a smile on our faces, after all, and letting those recipes slip out of our lives is often harder than letting go of meat itself. In fact, your reluctance to lose the Saturday staple might stop you from taking this all-important plunge in the first place.
Luckily, there is a simple solution that might allow you to transition and still keep those firm favorites close to hand. It’s a trick vegans have been adopting since the early days, and it’s as basic as finding ways to veganise those meaty meals to fit your new lifestyle.
In truth, it’s incredibly rare to find a recipe that’s entirely non-veganisable. Even if you have to make a few compromises, you should find that a little tweaking can see you recreating a pretty good mock-up of anything. Simply keep reading to find out how you can make it happen.
# 1 - Focus on textures
As any vegan will tell you, texture plays a huge part in any meal, especially where meat is concerned. As such, a focus on replicating textures to the best of your ability is the first step in recreating recipes you know and love. Mushrooms, especially oyster and shitake, are the ideal meaty replacement in a range of adaptations, from a quick dish Calamari recipe to that pulled pork your mum used to make. Then, pair these texture alternatives with the rest of the ingredients you know and love. You’ll be surprised by how effective this alone can be!
# 2 - Develop your taste buds
Once you’ve got texture in the bag, it’s time to think about flavors. Obviously, you aren’t quite going to recreate the stocky taste you’re used to when to from eating meat, but vegan food done well is far from tasteless. Instead, vegan cooking incorporates stock replacements, including decent veg stock, soy sauce, etc. Smoked paprika is another staple that can provide that smoky flavor you thought you would have to leave behind. All you need to do is think about the flavors you know, and use these regular and reliable replacements until you’ve replicated them as closely as you can. You might not get a 100% match here, but you bet it’ll still be pretty good.
# 3 - Experiment
Ultimately, veganising a recipe is all about experimentation, so have fun with this. Don’t stress yourself out after one or two failed attempts. Instead, make like the best vegan chefs out there, and keep trying until you end up with vegan calamari to die for, or a seitan steak that encapsulates everything you loved about the real thing. Seriously; veganism is so easy nowadays that there’s no excuse not to give it a go. So, what are you waiting for?