Anything with a pulse

[slightlyfoxed]

I'm trying to eat a bit less dairy. I've started a spreadsheet listing some of my favourite foods and my reasons for liking them to see what change I can easily achieve:

I like PIZZA because it is CONVENIENT AND COMFORTING so I might try freezing more non-cheesy but cosy meals for ease
I like YOGHURT because it is CREAMY so I might try using

Comments

[babysimon]

I like CHEESE because it is CHEESE so I might try having some cheese for lunch oh lovely cheese

You just gave me an idea!

[slightlyfoxed]

You must be 'avin' a (fal)laff(el).

[valkyriekaren]

There is a theory that buying stronger-tasting cheeses means you need to eat less of it to get that happy cheesy fix.

The people who say this are the same people who say things like, "I buy 70% cocoa solids chocolate because you just can't eat a whole bar in one sitting", i.e. MISGUIDED FOOLS.

[slightlyfoxed]

Maybe I should make an informative YouTube video of myself eating an entire bar in one sitting (initially sitting, then hopping around on caffeine jitters).

Cheese facts is true, although I'm already at Wexford level. I find adding a pinch of cumin to things with cheese in brings out the cheese so you can use less cheese )tip from my skinter days), and I'm also keen on the transformative ability of pecorino (half a teaspoon = highly cheesy).

[khalinche]

I made these cookies last night to use up some brown bananas, and they're, well, they're not the best cookies ever but they're fine, and ave the advantage of being vegan and wheat free. I think it's an interesting idea, replacing the binding/softening influence of butter and egg with banana.

I usually put yoghurt on my porridge, but molasses actually works just as well to make it cooler/more interesting. But I love molasses, and you may not.

Yeast flakes are a good, healthy condiment that gives a cheesy flavour on top of soups or another dish that you might ordinarily sprinkle cheese on.

Cream of cashew is a fine, fine thing for replacing normal milk, like with your smoothie or in sweet things. You can make it yourself with a load of cashews and a blender. Mmm, cashews.

[slightlyfoxed]

Cashews purchased for experimentation - they really are very creamy. I believe you can whizz up chocolate and cashews to make chocolate truffles (always nice to find a substitute for an essential food).

And thanks for the biscuit recipe.

[satyrica]

cooking lentils in vegetable stock makes them lovely- you can bung in various spices & vegetables to the mix too if you like, can be a good base for a lentil cottage pie or just as a dhal or in any way you like really

[slightlyfoxed]

Ta! Particularly because cottage pie, I haven't had that in ages. Must make some.

Would that be proper prepared-from-scratch stock, or will veg stock cubes be similarly useful?

(Between the two, I'm currently seeking a source of nice stock cubes - mushroom and similar - which isn't Brighton.)

[satyrica]

I have only ever used the most common or garden form of stock cube, I think it helps that they have quite a concentrated flavour

[menthe_reglisse]

Mushroom stock cubes: I use these http://www.ethicalsuperstore.com/products/kallo/kallo-mushroom-stock-cubes-66g/ which I get from my local hippy wholefood co-op but this looks like you could get them online. They're okay, I'd say, rather than absolutely lovely.

[julietk]

If ordering pizza, one can ask for it without cheese, & it is still tasty. (Obv one can also do this when making it -- and if you make it yourself, you can stick a little tahini sauce on the top, which is nice. Frozen pizza: not so much.)

Soya yoghurt is also (IMO) tasty & fairly readily available.

I strongly advise against any of the vegan 'cheese' products, which are universally vile, with the exception of Tofutti fake cream cheese which is actually quite nice, esp with Marmite.

Olive oil is another butter alternative with the spuds.

Nutritional yeast flakes are tasty vaguely nutty-flavoured things. They are not cheese, but they fill some of the same *thing* that cheese does for me. I like them sprinkled on pasta instead of Parmesan, & also on toast with a little lemon juice. They work as random stock ingredient, too.

One of the things cheese did for me was to be a thing to eat with bread for lunch. Kake's vegan cooking website has sandwich fillings -- I am particularly fond of the refried beans & the carrot & lentil

[plumsbitch]

on yeast flakes, which are YUM: I had a *fantastic* vegan pizza in Hamburg which replaced cheese with a topping made by mixing flakes with bit of fat, soy milk and heating gently. You get a goop which you can add herbs/flavourings, I think they'd used dill and mustard; then bunged on pizza. When cooked it goes properly stringy, I was amazed. Haven't tried at home yet, but would reccomend this hugely.

The analysis/replacement thing is a great idea, my one reasonably sustained period of nonsmoking came from a similar approach.

*esp as I remember during my brief mid 90s vegan period trying to make pizza with cheezly. Which at that point didn't melt, but just sat there and mocked my pitiful efforts by burning and smelling of rubber.

[plumsbitch]

but otherwise:

"I like CHEESE because it is CHEESE so I might try having some cheese for lunch oh lovely cheese"

I am firmly in this camp, and indeed it was this that torpedoed my veganism so probably not of much help!