Okay – what are these ingredients I’m talking about and can I explain them already?! After explaining it one by one over and over to so many of you guys, I wanted to take the time to write a post explaining them all. Trust me, the names may be uncertain and a bit different (seitan? Wait what?) but the tastes are so welcome. Here’s a helpful guide on the 10 most popular confusing vegan ingredients explained!
Nutritional Yeast
Seitan
Miso
Chia Seeds
Because of it’s texture once shredded, jackfruit is often used in vegan and vegetarian recipes as a meat replacement for pulled pork. It certainly mimics the texture and can mimic the flavours too with the right type of jackfruit and seasonings. Don’t be intimidated by it! Just follow the directions of the recipe you’re using and you’ll be surprised. Like I said, starting with a jar or can of young ripe green jackfruit is a great start.
Lentils
I love love love lentils!! I used to avoid lentils for no good reason and now I LOVE them! They are known as a power legume due to how long they’ve been around (all the way back to 8,000 BC) and their protein content. They’re also incredibly versatile: Whether you have them plain and on top of a salad, or in a chilli, or as a meat replacer in tacos. There are many different colours of lentils – Black, red, brown, green and yellow. The different colours are cooked for different times. So no, they aren’t very easily exchanged. If you see a recipe asking for red lentils, I definitely recommend using red lentils since you’ll have to completely adjust the cooking times and may end up with too mushy or rock hard lentils instead. In general, lentils take up to 30-40 minutes to cook. When cooked properly, lentils are absolutely divine. They’re rich in fibre and absolutely exploding with protein, so be sure to get a bag and try them out. Here are some recipes to get you started: One Pot Red Lentil Chili and Vegan Red Lentil Curry
Chickpea Flour
Chickpea Flour aka Garbanzo Bean Flour, is a stone ground flour made from whole garbanzo beans. If you’re a vegan or someone who doesn’t love eggs, this is a great product to always have in your home. Not only is it high in fibre and protein and a good source of iron, it’s like a magic ingredient. If you want to make a vegan quiche or vegan omelette, this is the flour for you. Not only does it beautifully mimic the colour, it also bakes up beautifully too. It’s great for thickening up soups and sauces, a lot of meals such as adding it to falafel, socca and papadums. I would recommend starting with the recipe on the back of your bag, then using it in your own ways to get a feel for its thickness. One thing to remember: always cook it all the way through to get the right texture.
Tofu, Magic Tofu
Tofu, also known as bean curd, is on this list because tofu has SO many misconceptions that it’s insane. I’ve heard so many complaints from a lot of non-vegans and vegans alike that they hate the flavour and the texture. I can tell you this with 100% guarantee – when you cook tofu properly AND are using the correct tofu your opinion will change. I too was a non-tofu lover, but that was because I had the wrong tofu. I’ll do a whole post on this if you like, but long story short tofu comes in many forms – soft, firm, extra firm and SILKEN. Silken also comes in soft, firm & extra firm and it is not the tofu you want to buy to be using as a meat replacement. Silken is for soups, cheesecakes and smoothies. Rather, you want regular tofu. This was the largest difference for me. Then, tofu’s flavour is not delicious. That isn’t its job though. Tofu is there as a base for you to manipulate. It needs lots of seasonings and love and it can become anything you want. One of the things that is asked a lot in relation to tofu is whether it is “real”. Yes, it definitely is. Tofu is actually made from soy milk and there are many videos on Youtube of making it straight from soy milk at home to show that it is just as easy to make at home as many other vegan meat replacers. It’s minimally processed and has been a component in East Asian and Southeast Asian cuisines for centuries, just to show that this isn’t some recent invention. Also, tofu definitely has an expiration date (trust me, I’ve personally experienced this one)! If you don’t have any soy issues and buy it non-GMO, it is definitely something to give a try. Here are some recipes to start you off: Crispy Cajun Fried Chicken Salad with ‘Honey’ Mustard Dressing and Vegan Butter Chicken (with Amazing Tofu)
