We all have foods that we love and that will continue to eat until the end of time. But, for some people, the shift to a vegan lifestyle can make that list of favorite foods seem too far out of the realm of possibility. Luckily, there are several different alternatives to foods that can be made at home and can still be delicious, even without any animal products.
Mac and Cheese
The first dish on our foray in homemade vegan recipes is vegan macaroni and cheese. The issue with this dish when it comes to a vegan lifestyle is the existence of cheese in the dish. Luckily, many vegans have pushed the limits on cheese and there are many alternatives. Nutritional yeast and cashew cream, when made into a sauce, are surprisingly realistic cheese substitutes. Mix either with some garlic and onion powder, salt and pepper, a bit of mustard powder, and enough water to bring it all together, and you’ll have a fantastic sauce to pour over noodles, making macaroni and “cheese” dish that you can eat guilt-free while walking past a herd of cattle.
Homemade Vegan Ramen
“Homemade vegan ramen” is a series of words that I never expected to put in that order, and yet, it is a surprisingly easy and delicious dish to make. Vegan soup-based dishes are not a novel idea, as you can find vegetable or mushroom stock in most supermarkets. The key to great ramen is in the broth that must contain high levels of umami flavor. While most ramen starts with a pork-based broth, a strong vegan broth can be made by infusing mushrooms, garlic, and aromatic spices into one of the aforementioned stock bases. Simple toppings like carrots or bok choy atop egg-free noodles make a delicious, warming noodle dish that you can enjoy any time.
Anything with Jackfruit
One of the most amazing fruits in the world has to be the jackfruit, which can take homemade vegan recipes to the next level. These massive, spiky fruits in the fig family can be used to recreate almost any meat-based dish that a vegan may want to eat. Young jackfruit has an odd texture that is fibrous and pulls apart, similar to any pulled meat. If you take that jackfruit and you slowly cook it in a thick and tangy barbeque sauce, then it turns into vegan pulled pork. If you cover it in spices like paprika and cumin then fry it, you’ll have the perfect vegan taco meat to serve with cilantro on a warm corn tortilla. Jackfruit is a versatile fruit with many faux meat-based dishes.
Just because you’ve decided to give up eating meat and other animal products doesn’t mean you have to give up your favorite comfort foods. It just means that you’ll need to do a little research and experimenting to figure out how to recreate your favorite foods in a way that will support your lifestyle.