A well-stocked pantry is your best insurance for an easy meal. If you’re in a pinch, a drained and rinsed can of beans tossed with some cooked pasta and a little sauce can be a lifesaver. Never underestimate what a well-stocked pantry can do for you.
Having ingredients available means you’ll spend less eating out at the last minute and that you’ll be eating healthier foods. If you are on a tight budget, just start with some flour, sweetener, olive oil, brown rice, pasta and a few cans of beans and tomatoes.
My idea of a well-stocked pantry:
• agave nectar
• almonds
• applesauce
• brown rice
• brown rice flour
• bulgur
• canned and dry beans (black, pinto, kidney, chickpea, white beans)
• canned crushed tomatoes (or frozen)
• canned diced tomatoes (or frozen)
• cans of pumpkin or butternut squash purée (Tip: After the holidays, you can find organic very cheaply)
• cashews (for a quick cashew cream)
• coconut oil
• coconut sugar or brown sugar
• dried pasta (assorted types such as macaroni, shapes and spaghetti)
• lemons or refrigerated lemon juice
• maple syrup
• millet
• nondairy milk (soy, almond, rice, coconut, etc.—unsweetened, both plain and vanilla)
• olive oil
• olives
• peanuts
• premade pasta sauce
• quinoa
• rolled oats
• shelf-stable silken tofu
• tomato paste
• tortillas (corn and flour—these can also be kept in the freezer)
• walnuts
• whole-wheat and/or brown rice couscous
• whole-wheat pastry flour
You don’t need to have all of the ones in this book to start cooking. Instead, add a new one to your collection every week or month.
Remember that you can get tiny amounts of dried herbs and spices in bulk at Whole Foods Market or your local co-op. SavorySpiceShop.com and MySpiceSage.com also sell bulk spices, but you have to buy at least 1 ounce there.
If you are on a tight budget, start with salt, pepper, nutritional yeast, bay leaves, liquid smoke, chili powder, garlic powder, basil and oregano.
• apple cider vinegar
• balsamic vinegar
• basil
• bay leaves
• black pepper
• DIY Cajun Seasoning Blend (recipe here)
• cardamom
• cayenne powder
• chili garlic paste
• chili powder
• cinnamon
• cloves
• coriander (ground)
• cornstarch (use organic or substitute tapioca starch)
• cumin (ground and seed)
• garam
• garlic (granulated or powder and fresh)
• ginger (ground and fresh)
• liquid smoke (any flavor)
• marjoram (similar to oregano; you can substitute one for the other)
• nutmeg
• nutritional yeast
• onion powder
• oregano
• paprika (regular and smoked)
• red pepper flakes
• rice wine vinegar
• rosemary
• sage (rubbed)
• salt
• sesame oil
• sriracha chili sauce
• soy sauce (gluten-free if you need; substitute coconut aminos for soy- and gluten-free)
• Tabasco (or other vinegar-based hot sauce)
• tahini
• thyme
• turmeric
• vanilla extract
• vegan mayo (or substitute Cashew Sour Cream, or Tofu Sour Cream
Many of the recipes have both a stove top and a slow cooker cooking method. If you follow my blog, HealthySlowCooking.com, or you have one of my slow cooker cookbooks, you know I love the hands-off ease that they add to my routine.
You do not need a slow cooker to make any of the recipes in this book, but I highly recommend adding one to your kitchen if you don’t have one already. An inexpensive 4-quart (4-L) slow cooker can make dry beans from scratch and cook up a soup or stew when you come home for dinner.
Besides a slow cooker, I do use a few appliances in some of the recipes. The most-often used are a food processor, a regular blender and an immersion blender.
If you’re new to eating vegan, there may be a few ingredients in this book that are new to you. Here’s a rundown that explains what they are and where you can buy them.
Butler’s Soy Curls are a product from the Pacific Northwest. They are soybeans that have been smashed and dried. They have a meaty texture when reconstituted and not much flavor on their own. That said, they are a perfect base for your favorite sauces, and they make a wonderful BBQ sandwich. If you are not in the northwest, you’ll need to order them online. Amazon has them.
Cauliflower, mushrooms and shredded sweet potatoes show up in many recipes where you might expect a meat substitute. Cauliflower is great for veganizing a family fish or chicken recipe; portabella mushrooms give an umami flavor and chewy texture that are a good replacement for beef; and shredded sweet potatoes are great for veganizing a shredded meat recipe.
Chickpeas are my default choice for a meat substitute like Beyond Meat or a soy product like tempeh. Of all the beans, chickpeas retain their shape after long cooking times and give some of that toothsome feel you would expect.
Kala Namak is also known as “black salt” even though it’s pink. That’s because the outside of the rock is black, but by the time it’s in a jar we only see the insides. It’s used often in vegan recipes to mimic the taste of eggs. It’s high in sulfur, which gives it that eggy taste and smell. It turns a plain tofu scramble into something amazing. Because it’s used in Indian food quite often, you can find it cheaply at Indian markets. But don’t worry if there isn’t any in your area; you can order it online at MySpiceSage.com, at SavorySpiceShop.com or on Amazon.
Liquid smoke and smoked paprika add that smoky flavor. Some people are under the misconception that liquid smoke isn’t natural, but it’s actually the condensation from real wood being burned, and almost all brands do not contain chemicals. Check labels to make sure you are getting the natural kind. It can be found in all groceries in the South in the condiment section, and you can easily order it online.
Nondairy cream substitutes are an easy way to amp up the richness of a recipe. I have recipes for cashew and tofu sour cream that thicken as well. There’s a recipe for pumpkin cashew cheese that’s amazing on your morning bagel. You can also buy premade versions at your local natural food store and in some groceries. Kite Hill has an amazing vegan cream cheese.
Nondairy milks are popular far beyond the vegan community and can be found in most regular groceries. They have an array of bases such as soy, almond, coconut, cashew, oat and hemp; and more varieties keep coming. I call for unsweetened nondairy milk in savory dishes because they add richness without sweetness. You can use plain milk if you can’t find unsweetened, but it will add a slight sweetness even to savory dishes.
Nutritional Yeast is not the same as brewer’s yeast or baking yeast, so be sure not to mix them up. Nutritional yeast is full of umami flavor and B vitamins. If you can’t find it in a bulk bin at a Whole Foods Market or co-op near you, try ordering online from Bob’s Red Mill or Amazon. It’s used in recipes that traditionally have cheese in them, to mimic that cheesy flavor. It’s used as an addition to soups and stews—even gravies. It’s also great as a popcorn topping.
Seitan is made from wheat gluten. You can find seitan premade in the refrigerated section of most natural foods stores. You can also easily order vital wheat gluten online and make your own from scratch.
Soy Curls, Beyond Meat, Gardein and other meat substitutes contain soy. Soy Curls and Beyond Meat are both gluten-free, and some of the new Gardein products are gluten-free as well. If you are avoiding gluten and/or soy, always read labels carefully, since brands will often change their formulas.
Sometimes having an easy substitution for veganizing your pre-vegan recipes can make the transition easier. It also helps non-vegans cook for us. I live with a non-vegan; and adding in Soy Curls, Beyond Meat and Gardein once or twice a week makes it easier for her to eat meatless at home. Some other brands I use are Lightlife and Gimme Lean; there will probably be even more by the time this book is in print. Read their ingredient lists to see whether they fit into your eating plan.
As of this writing, you can get Gardein in the freezer section of most major grocery stores. It and Beyond Meat are even in the freezer section in Target. With luck, this trend will continue so that they are easier to find near you.
Spices elevate a plain dish. There are a few in this book that you may not yet have in your cabinet. I recommend that you buy spices in bulk stores while trying them out because you can buy as little as a tablespoon. You can usually find bulk spices at natural foods stores. Some of the most-used spices in the book are cumin (ground and seeds), chili powder, garam masala, ground coriander and turmeric. Garam masala is a blend of Indian spices that is more interesting and flavorful than typical curry powder, but you can substitute curry powder in a pinch. See the spice list here for a complete list of those used in this book.
Tempeh is made from soybeans that have been cut in half and cultured. It has a firm bite; in chunks, it can be substituted for chicken in some of your non-vegan recipes. You can also crumble it up and use it where you’d use mince. Some people find tempeh a bit bitter. If you’re one of them, try steaming it for 10 minutes before you use it in your recipe. Another alternative is to try different brands; maybe a local maker has one that isn’t bitter.
Some people who avoid many soy products will eat fermented ones like tempeh and miso. If you are allergic, however, you should not eat even those.
Tofu is made from soybeans. There are different types of tofu: silken, regular and sprouted. There are even ones that have been baked in a marinade and are ready to eat. You can get most types of tofu in degrees of firmness from soft to extra-firm. Silken tofu has a custard-like texture. Used as is, it works perfectly for puddings. Regular and sprouted tofu usually need to have the water pressed out so they can absorb a marinade, but you can skip this step with extra-firm tofu.
It’s all about options. Some people don’t like the idea of anything remotely processed, vegan or not. I always offer options in my recipes to suit that preference as well as other dietary needs. So a recipe may call for Beyond Meat or cubed tempeh or cubed seitan or chickpeas. What you use is up to you. Each one will make the dish slightly different, and all will make for a tasty dinner. You can always use one of the vegetables mentioned above as well.