DIY Vegan

THE FIRST STEP TO CRAFTING your staples at home is filling your shelves with all the essential ingredients for a productive vegan pantry. Here, we’re going to introduce you to a roster of versatile superstars: whole grains, nuts, seeds, oils, dried fruit, sweeteners, and spices.

While this is not a complete list of food you might want in your kitchen or pantry, it includes essential ingredients featured in the recipes in this book. Once you have these on hand, you are ready to re-create all your everyday favorites, like the creamer you use in your morning coffee or the crackers you pack for snacks, and to make your vegan kitchen complete!

You don’t need to rush out and get everything on this list today. Start with a recipe or two, and you’ll begin to recognize the more common ingredients and see their potential. Soon they’ll go from weird, health-food hippie ingredients to items you can’t live without.

We’re not telling you to throw out your old basics like white rice and all-purpose flour when stocking your pantry, but there are all sorts of grains and flours that will each bring a little something extra to your cooking, including plant-powered nutrients and delicious, wholesome flavors.

Almond meal & flour: Almond meal and almond flour lend a soft, chewy texture and nutty flavor to baked goods. Almond meal is made from raw almonds with the skins intact and has a slightly coarse texture, while almond flour is made from blanched almonds (which have been heated to remove their skins) and has a delicate and fine texture. Almond flour can also be made by dehydrating the almond pulp leftover from making nut milk. In most cases, we use almond meal but both can be made in your own kitchen (see here).

Arrowroot: Yes, it’s made from a root called arrowroot (no creativity here at all). Use it where you’d use cornstarch—it thickens sauces and puddings and helps bind and crisp up the texture of baked goods.

Brown rice flour: This popular gluten-free flour is made from finely milled brown rice and is part of our Gluten-Free Flour Mix (here). Look for brown rice flour at bulk and health food stores and in the specialty food section of large grocers.

Brown rice (puffed): A light and crunchy way to enjoy the goodness of brown rice, this puffed version is used in the Snackworthy Cereal Bars here and the Cinnamon Toast Cereal here. We love Nature’s Path and Arrowhead Mills brands, which contain only one ingredient (puffed brown rice!) and can be found at most health food stores and large grocers.

Buckwheat groats & flour: Even though it has “wheat” right in the name, buckwheat is not even related to regular wheat. In fact, it’s gluten-free. (Who the heck is in charge of naming these things, anyway?) Raw buckwheat groats are the hulled seeds of the buckwheat plant, as opposed to kasha, which is toasted and much darker in color. Raw groats provide a wonderful crunchy texture to recipes when used whole, or a soft, pleasant flavor when made into flour. You can find the groats and flour at bulk and health food stores.

Chickpea flour: Otherwise known as garbanzo bean flour, this pale yellow flour is made from ground chickpeas. It imparts a sweet, almost beany flavor and aroma, which isn’t quite as pronounced after baking. Because it’s made from one of our favorite legumes and is high in protein, we’ve incorporated it in the Gluten-Free Flour Mix here. Look for chickpea flour at bulk and health food stores.

Cornmeal: This common staple is made from dried corn. We prefer organic, stone-ground cornmeal and use it in some recipes to add a little crunch, like the Creamy Five-Grain Porridge here, or for the bottom of homemade pizza crust (here and here).

Millet & millet flour: While most gluten-free grains have a strong underlying flavor, millet is an exception to the rule. We sometimes grind whole millet to add a crunchy texture to recipes like the Pancake Mix here, but millet flour is excellent for lighter baked goods that require a texture and flavor similar to wheat (which is why our Ultimate Gluten-Free Bread here tastes so good). You can find both the whole grain and flour at bulk and health food stores.

Oats (rolled) & oat flour: Oats are one of our favorite grains. They’re wholesome, fiber-rich, and have far more uses than just oatmeal (think quick breads, cookies, and pancakes). Oat flour is, as you might expect, flour made from finely milled oats. Note that oats are often processed in the same facility as wheat, so if you’re celiac or avoiding wheat or gluten, be sure to buy oats that are certified gluten-free.

Oats (steel cut): These oats are made from whole-grain oat groats that have been cut into pieces. Like rolled oats, steel-cut oats are often processed in the same facility as wheat, so be sure to buy ones that are certified gluten-free if you’re avoiding wheat or gluten.

Potato starch: This starch is made from dehydrated, peeled potatoes and is not the same as potato flour! We use potato starch in our Gluten-Free Flour Mix (here) because it has a neutral flavor and fine texture.

Quinoa & quinoa flour: This tiny grain is celebrated (we’re talking a real party here) for its nutritional profile (it contains all essential amino acids, so it’s considered a complete protein) and how quickly it cooks up (15 to 20 minutes). Quinoa flour is simply uncooked quinoa that has been finely ground. It works wonders in gluten-free baking because it provides a slightly nutty flavor and light texture.

Quinoa (puffed): Similar to other grains like rice and corn, quinoa can be popped or puffed to lighten its texture. It makes a great addition to the Superfood Salad Booster here. It’s not always easy to find, but its usual habitat is the cereal aisle of bulk and health food stores.

Spelt flour: This whole-grain flour is similar to wheat but has a nutty, slightly sweet flavor and lower gluten content. We love using it to make wholesome breads, muffins, and cookies.

Tapioca flour: Tapioca flour, also known as tapioca starch, is gluten-free flour derived from cassava root. It is a starchy, slightly sweet, purewhite flour often used in gluten-free baking (and is part of our Gluten-Free Flour Mix here) and for thickening puddings and sauces. Look for it at bulk and health food stores.

Whole wheat pastry flour: This whole-grain flour is much softer and more finely textured than regular whole wheat flour, and baked goods made with it will have a similar consistency to those made with white flour. If you can’t find it at your local grocery store, check bulk food stores, which often carry a wider variety of flours.

Sure, white sugar is deliciously addictive, but why not expand your mind and taste buds to discover the potential of other natural sweeteners, like Medjool dates? Oh, how we love those chewy, caramel-flavored dates. While the sweeteners we use in this book are still sugar, we think they’re more flavorful, a little higher in nutrition, and easier for the body to process than the standard white stuff. Make some room in your cupboard for these vegan-friendly sweeties.

Agave nectar: Although there has been debate as to the healthfulness of agave, we still use it on occasion. It’s a concentrated sweetener, not a health food, after all! Its clean, neutral flavor makes it suitable for recipes where you don’t want the maple or caramel undertone that comes from the other sweeteners we tend to use. Look for agave in health food stores or in the specialty food section of major grocers.

Blackstrap molasses: This thick, robust syrup is a by-product of cane sugar processing and is a surprisingly nutrient-dense ingredient (it contains a good dose of iron, calcium, potassium, and more). You’ve likely used it to make gingerbread cookies during the holidays, but it also adds a lovely flavor component to sauces like L. P.’s Worcestershire Sauce (here) and BBQ Sauce (here) as well as baked goods like Cinnamon Graham Crackers (here).

Brown rice syrup: This golden syrup is derived from cooked brown rice and barley. Its mild sweetness and thick, sticky consistency similar to honey make it ideal for granola and snack bars. We love it because it has a binding quality unlike any other sweetener.

Cane sugar: Most granulated sugar on the market today is cane sugar, but some are more processed than others. That cheap, bright white sugar you find at most grocery stores has had the nutritious molasses removed, has gone through a bleaching process, and often isn’t vegan due to the animal bone char used in the filtering process, which is why we prefer to use organic and unbleached evaporated cane sugar that still contains some of the molasses and is slightly tan in color rather than pure white. Wholesome Sweeteners is our favorite brand and can be found in health food stores and the specialty food or baking section of major grocers.

Coconut sugar: This sugar is produced from the sap of cut flower buds of the coconut palm tree. It is a rich, unrefined brown sugar with a hint of caramel flavor, known to be low on the glycemic index and have a high mineral content. Because of its increasing popularity, it’s becoming easier to find. We usually buy it in bulk from health food stores, but you can also find it in the specialty food section of major grocers.

Maple sugar: Hey, we’re Canadian. We’re required by law to use maple sugar and maple syrup as often as possible. Both, as you probably guessed, are made from the sap of the sugar maple tree. Maple sugar adds a delicious maple flavor and is an excellent alternative to syrup. Depending on where you live, it may be hard to come by, but start by looking at bulk or health food stores or order some online. You may want to sing “O Canada” as you eat it.

Maple syrup: One of our favorite ways to sweeten dishes and desserts, this delicious syrup is what you get when you boil the maple tree sap to concentrate it. Maple syrup is typically graded A or B, or light or medium, but either will work in these recipes. Just be sure to use 100 percent pure maple syrup (organic preferred) and not the stuff from Aunt Jemima. We realize it may be expensive depending on your location, but we think it’s well worth the investment as a natural and less-processed sweetener.

Vanilla sugar: This flavored sugar can be found in little packets at the grocery store, but we much prefer to make it at home using unbleached cane sugar and real vanilla bean. Check out the easy recipe here.

We use a variety of dried fruit in these recipes, from goji berries and dried figs to dried cranberries, apricots, and raisins. The only thing we suggest is to use organically grown and unsulfured dried fruit that has no sugar added, which can be found at health food stores or sometimes the specialty food section of major grocers. In a pinch, regular dried fruit is fine, too.

Medjool dates: We can’t forget to mention one of our favorite natural sweeteners. Dates were crowned the fruit of the kings when they were first discovered around 6000 BC, and we understand why. This larger, sweeter variety of dates has a deep caramel flavor and can be used whole or made into Date Paste (see here). We often use them in no-bake desserts like the Almond Press-In Pie Crust (here). You can find Medjool dates in bulk and at major grocers and health food stores.

Ah, chocolate, the one ingredient that lifts us up when we are down. You can always find some chocolate in our pantries in one form or another.

Cacao butter: Cacao butter is the pale yellow fat extracted from cacao beans. We use raw cacao butter that has not been heat processed or treated with chemicals and buy it in bulk from reputable online stores. You can also find it at some health food stores. It’s well worth the investment!

Cacao nibs: Known as nature’s chocolate chips, cacao nibs are made from cacao beans that have been roasted, hulled, and crumbled into small pieces. We love using them as a garnish or to add crunch to recipes, like our Go Anywhere Chia Cereal (here). You can find cacao nibs at most health food stores.

Cocoa powder: For these recipes, we use natural, unsweetened cocoa powder, which doesn’t contain any additives. It has a bitter taste on its own yet lends a rich, deep chocolate flavor to baked goods. Don’t confuse natural cocoa powder with Dutch-process cocoa powder, which has been treated with an alkalizing agent. And make sure you don’t accidentally pick up “instant cocoa” or drinking cocoa, which isn’t the same thing at all—it’s a mix of cocoa powder, sugar, and often dried milk, ready to be made into a cup of hot cocoa.

Dark chocolate bars/chips: We think it’s worth paying a little more for good-quality dark chocolate that contains at least 70 percent cocoa, which means there is less room for fillers like milk powder and refined sugar (more fillers and sweeteners mean less of the good stuff). Always check the ingredient label to make sure it doesn’t contain dairy. If you have a gluten or nut sensitivity, check to make sure the chocolate has been made in a dedicated facility. Enjoy Life and Camino are two of our favorite brands.

Black salt: Otherwise known as kala namak, this type of rock salt is a fabulous flavor enhancer in vegan dishes made to mimic the taste of eggs, since it provides a pronounced sulphur taste and aroma. Despite its name, kala namak is actually light pink in color (a little baffling, we know!). You can find it at Indian markets or specialty spice stores.

Madras masala spice blend: To save money, we sometimes use good-quality, premade Indian spice blends like Madras masala, which contains a number of intoxicating spices to create a South Indian curry mix. We love to support our favorite local spice company, Arvinda’s, for this particular blend but any similar blend will do.

Vanilla beans: There is nothing like the flavor and aroma of a whole vanilla bean, which is the fruit of the vanilla orchid (indigenous to South and Central America). Be sure to purchase soft, fresh vanilla beans and use them as soon as possible. Many of our recipes call for the seeds of a vanilla bean: simply use a paring knife to split the pod down the center lengthwise and gently scrape the tiny seeds out of the inside using the dull side of your knife, then add the seeds to the recipe. You can find vanilla beans at bulk and health food stores (sometimes they come in little glass tubes).

Vanilla powder: Wait—you can get vanilla in powdered form? Yup. Once we discovered this, it became one of our favorite ways to enjoy this flavor. It’s made from grinding whole vanilla beans. It can be pricey, but well worth the investment if you want to add real vanilla flavor to your desserts. We buy it from health food stores or online.

Chia seeds & meal: Chia seeds are all the rage these days because of their health benefits and unique gelling action. Many people use chia meal (ground chia seeds) as a vegan egg replacer in baking or to thicken puddings and jams. You can find black and white varieties at bulk and health food stores.

Flax seeds & meal: This nutritious seed is similar to chia with its gelling power and is often used as a vegan egg replacer in baking and to add bulk and nutrition to dishes. To make flax meal, the seeds are ground to a fine powder. We prefer to grind our own (this takes seconds in a blender or coffee grinder) on an as-needed basis since the meal can go rancid after a while. Whole flaxseeds are widely available at most major grocers, and bulk and health food stores.

Hemp hearts: These hulled hemp seeds are known to be an excellent source for complete protein and balanced essential fatty acids. As you may have guessed, they come from the cannabis plant, but they are produced so the THC content is removed. We love adding them to our cereal mixes or snack bars. Hemp hearts can be found at major grocers and health food stores.

Tahini: This paste is made from raw or roasted sesame seeds and can easily be made in your own kitchen (see here). Tahini is used in traditional hummus recipes but also makes a delicious base for sauces and salad dressings. You can find premade tahini in the international section of grocery stores.

Other nutritious nuts and seeds we use: almonds, cashews, hazelnuts, pecans, walnuts, Brazil nuts, peanuts, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, and pumpkin seeds.

Generally, cold-pressed, extra-virgin coconut oil is our favorite for cooking and baking, but here are a few others that are worth a place in your pantry.

Canola oil: Very mild in flavor, canola oil is our preferred choice in recipes when a neutral-tasting oil is desired, but you can substitute another mild oil like sunflower or grapeseed, if you wish. Most canola crops are genetically modified—if this is a concern, choose certified organic brands.

Coconut butter: Made from whole coconut flesh (not just the oil), coconut butter is a dense spread with a rich, buttery flavor. We love using it to make frostings and fillings, or to add a little softness to chocolate coatings. We tell you the secret to making your own here, but you can also find premade coconut butter at health food stores.

Coconut oil: Coconut oil is the edible oil extracted from mature coconuts. We always use cold-pressed, organic, extra-virgin oil, which means the oil has not been refined, bleached, or deodorized. With its high smoke point, coconut oil is great for high-heat cooking without damaging the properties of the oil. Solid at room temperature up to 75°F, it also makes a great replacement for butter in many recipes and helps raw recipes maintain a solid texture. If you don’t like the taste of coconut, you can always get refined coconut oil, which is mellower in flavor. These days, coconut oil is easy to find at most major grocers and health food stores.

Olive oil: This rich, earthy, and fruity-flavored oil has its place in every kitchen. We use small amounts of cold-pressed, organic, extra-virgin olive oil for sauces and dressings, and to add a little crispness to baked chips.

Sesame oil: We use this oil on occasion because it adds a lovely fragrant sesame taste to finished dishes, sauces, and dressings. Toasted sesame oil has a more intense flavor compared to the regular stuff, so just a little goes a long way.

SOAKING NUTS (AN ESSENTIAL STEP)

We do a lot of soaking around here, so don’t be intimidated by recipes that call for this step. Many vegan cooks we know always have a cup of cashews soaking, so if you follow their lead you can whip up something creamy any night of the week. It’s super easy: just place the desired amount of cashews in a bowl and add enough water to cover them by an inch or two, cover the bowl with a lid, and let sit on your kitchen counter. We suggest soaking cashews for at least six hours, but they can be left overnight or for up to two days if refrigerated. For almonds, we suggest soaking them for at least eight hours. Drain and rinse well before using.

If you are a lucky owner of a high-speed blender like a Blendtec or Vitamix, it will take no time at all to blend the soaked nuts into a creamy, smooth consistency, but any old blender should be able to do the trick. To test for smoothness, rub the cream between your fingers—you should not feel any grittiness. If needed, give them another blend. The amount of time it takes really depends on the power of your blender and the amount of liquid used. Some recipes, particularly those for our vegan cheeses, include only a small amount of liquid in order to get firm results, so take care to follow the instructions as best you can and only add more liquid a little at a time if absolutely necessary. Some blenders are a little needy. But hey, who are we to judge?

Agar: This magical ingredient made from seaweed is used as a vegan substitute for gelatin. You’ll find Nicole forever talking about the wonders of agar and how, when dissolved in boiling liquid, it magically transforms into something incredible, like the Buffalo Mozzarella here. Purchase agar in either flaked or powdered form from well-stocked health food stores, Asian markets, or online. Our favorite brands are Eden Organic (for flakes) and NOW Real Food (for powder).

Kelp: Kelp is seaweed commonly used in Asian cuisine, but it is also a secret staple for veganizing dishes where we want to omit fish- or shrimp-derived ingredients. Whether you’re making vegan-friendly soup, mock tuna salad, sushi, or salad dressing, this ingredient will provide a subtly salty, umami-rich flavor. Although kelp evokes the ocean, it is not overwhelming, and many people simply use it as a salt substitute. Kelp granules can be found in most health food stores near the nori or in the salt aisle of Asian markets.

These ingredients may not be familiar to you, but they work magic in some of our recipes, binding, thickening, and creating volume. Just a little goes a long way.

Lecithin: This is an indispensable recipe helper that is used as an emulsifier to bind ingredients that wouldn’t normally mix together, like oil and water. We use it to create stable salad dressings, dairy-free butter, and coffee creamer. Made from soybeans or sunflower seeds, lecithin can be found in both liquid and granule forms from the supplement section of health food stores and some grocery stores.

Xanthan gum: Bet you never thought you’d be buying ingredients that started with the letter X. Don’t let the weird name scare you—this is great for thickening liquids or adding volume and creaminess. In gluten-free baking, we can nearly replicate the stretching and structural characteristics of gluten if we add a little xanthan to the recipe. It’s a fine white powder that can be found in the baking aisle of bulk and health food stores. Don’t worry, you don’t have to know how to pronounce it.

Bragg Liquid Aminos: This salty liquid condiment is a protein concentrate derived from soybeans and is similar to soy sauce, tamari, and nama shoyu. It’s high in a number of essential and nonessential amino acids. We love using it to add that umami boost to sauces, dressings, and stir-frys. Look for it at health food stores or the specialty food section of major grocers.

Miso: We use this fermented Japanese paste to flavor many dishes, and it is particularly useful for homemade cheese. The standard kind is made from soybeans, but there are dozens of varieties out there (brown rice, chickpea, barley), which can be found at health food stores, Asian markets, or some large grocers that have a good international section. The recipes in this book use white miso, which is lighter in color and has a mild, slightly sweet flavor, or brown rice miso, which is dark in color, and rich and full bodied in flavor.

Apple cider vinegar: Another staple in our kitchens, apple cider vinegar is made from—you guessed it—apples. We prefer to use organic, unpasteurized brands like Bragg or Eden Organic to add a little tang to salad dressings, to help baked goods rise, and, because it’s antibacterial and environmentally friendly, to clean our homes!

Mirin: A rice wine similar to sake but with a lower alcohol content, mirin is a staple in Japanese cuisine and is used for, among other things, teriyaki sauce, sushi rice, and marinades. We use it in the Sweet Ginger Stir-Fry Sauce here.

Rice vinegar: A sweeter, more delicate alternative to distilled white vinegar, rice vinegar is made from fermented rice or rice wine. We love the unseasoned variety for stir-fry dishes and to add the sour to the Sweet & Sour Dipping Sauce here.

While these ingredients don’t really fit into any of the other categories, we still consider them super useful.

Capers: These small green herb buds have long been a favorite in the Mediterranean region. They are dried and then brined or packed in salt. Because they are cured like olives, they lend a piquant sour and salty flavor to salads, dressings, and sauces. For these recipes, we use the brined variety found in the jarred olives section of grocery stores.

Carob chips: An excellent low-sugar alternative to chocolate, carob is made from the fruit of the carob plant, which grows along the Mediterranean Sea. Carob chips look just like chocolate chips, although the flavor is more mellow and earthier than chocolate. We love them as a topping for the Awesome Energy Bars here.

Citric acid: This natural acid is very bitter and gives fruits like lemons and limes their characteristic sour flavor. It’s sometimes used as a preservative, but a small amount can also boost the tanginess of dishes. Citric acid is commonly sold as a white powder and can be found in the baking or candy-making aisle of large grocers or bulk food stores.

Coconut milk: Canned coconut milk adds a rich, creamy quality that mimics dairy cream in recipes. Throughout this book, we use full-fat coconut milk, not “lite.” The percentage of fat can vary by brand, so look for brands with at least 16 percent fat (you’ll find this info on the nutrition facts label). Our preferred brands are Thai Kitchen or Native Forest. Thai Kitchen, however, doesn’t separate well, so for recipes that require chilling overnight to separate the cream from the water (required for the Coconut Yogurt here), we find organic brands like Native Forest work best.

Liquid smoke: This potent, concentrated seasoning adds a smoky, hickory, mesquite flavor to recipes like the Coconut Bacon Bits here. It’s made by burning wood chips and reducing the concentrated smoke into liquid. This seasoning can be found in the BBQ sauce section of many grocery stores.

Maca powder: This root vegetable has a long history as a superfood. It is also known to add a distinct malty flavor and is often paired with chocolate, but we like to use it to intensify the flavor of cheesy dishes like the Mac & Cheese Sauce Mix here. Look for maca powder at health and bulk food stores.

Nutritional yeast: If you don’t already have a bag of nutritional yeast in your pantry, go out and buy some immediately! Lovingly known as nooch by those who use it regularly, this deactivated yeast adds a cheesy flavor in vegan recipes and is an essential component to some of our recipes, like Mac & Cheese Sauce Mix (here) and Nacho Cheese Sauce (here). We buy it in flaked form from bulk and health food stores; it is also available in larger grocery stores.

Probiotic: This digestive supplement is used to add the authentic fermented tang to our vegan cheeses. There are quite a few vegan probiotic brands on the market that come in capsule or powdered form. We like both Trophic and NuChapter. If you pick up your probiotic in capsule form, just make sure it is gelatin-free. Usually it says “veg-capsule” or “vegan” right on the label.

Psyllium husks: Another weird name, but you’ll want to get to know these plants because psyllium husks provide fiber that expands and forms a gel-like texture when added to liquid. They are often used as a binder in vegan and gluten-free baking. Psyllium is available as a powder and as whole husks at health and bulk food stores—we use the whole husks in our recipes.

Yeast (fast rising dry): Also known as rapid-rise or quick-rise yeast, this active yeast is milled into smaller particles so it doesn’t need to be dissolved in water like traditional bread yeast. Do not substitute for traditional active dry yeast or bread machine yeast. Fleischmann’s is a good and commonly available brand. Be sure to check the expiry date to ensure it’s still active.

Not everyone has time to make everything from scratch. We get it. But the option is there if you want it or already have a specific homemade ingredient on hand.

While many of the things we make at home are naturally gluten-free, there are some recipes that taste delightful using whole wheat or spelt flour, like the Chocolate Cake Mix here or the Premade Pie Crust here. In these instances, we’ve also included gluten-free substitution options (called “Make it gluten-free”) at the bottom of the recipes. That way, no matter if you live a gluten-free or gluten-friendly life, you can enjoy every recipe in this book.

CHAPTER 1

Stocking Your Awesome Vegan Pantry