It's getting easier to be a vegetarian/vegan...

[WillParkinson]

Yesterday we went shopping in Madison at the Willy Street Co-op and then came back home and stopped at Beans and Barley to pick up a few items. We found several new Vegetarian/Vegan items on the shelves that I can't wait to try...

Pete's Tofu2Go...We got the Lemon Pepper Tofu with the Mango Chipotle sauce. (Web Site: http://www.petestofu.com)

Tofutti Soy Cheese Slices: Mozzarella and American flavors. I was really impressed with their desserts and figured I'd give these a try.

Companion Worldwide Curry Braised Gluten Tidbits: For those who said they lost too much weight while trying to be vegetarian or vegan these babies are for you! They have a whopping 17 grams of fat per serving as well as 9 grams of protein. We tried a different style at work one night and the cook who did it could have easily served that dish in a restaurant it was that good.

And, finally, Tofutti Pan Crust Pizza Pizzaz - my friend Trish (vegan) brought these in to work last week and I will say with no hesitation that they were the BEST vegan pizza I ever ate. The cheese melted and tasted like real cheese. It was a wonderful experience.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/VeggieDelights/

[Piperay]

1. Yup, that is for sure

I have been a vegetarian for a long long time and until about maybe 10 years ago, jello was actually vegetarian compared with the other stuff you would find.:-( Many is the times I would go out to dinner in a restaurant with family and friends and could find NOTHING on the menu to eat except jello and french fries (and no telling what kind of oil they were prepared in and we all know what is in jello). :puke: When you go out to eat now just about any place has at least one meatless meal on the menu. :9 :-)

[jab105]

2. TVP!

Acts like beef in any dish...chop up onions and mushrooms, grill with olive oil...water/braggs/soy sauce in the pot to a boil...and then toss in the tvp, turn off stove and let sit for 5 minutes...

theres your beef substitute...works for anything:) and is super cheap...

[WillParkinson]

3. If you can find it...

I STRONGLY suggest you try Wheat Meat from White Wave. We use it for a super-easy fake-chicken pot pie that is just to die for. (Had it last night in fact.)

[PsychoDad]

4. Just a question

Is it possible to eat veg as cheap or cheaper than meat? And what would/should a meat eater like myself who must feed a family of 4 on the very cheap look for?
What would you recomend?

[WillParkinson]

5. Excellent question!

If you'd like to write me please do and I'll try to help you as much as I can.

[e-mail] is my e-mail. There is also a link to our VeggieDelights cooking list in the main message if you want to visit that and check out some of the recipes.

But, for the moment, you might find some help here:
http://cheapvegan.cjb.net/

[izzie]

6. I am with you on this. I hardly ever buy meat.

The one steak I bought this year is still on ice after 6 months. I can not face it, I see the animal every time I step up to the meat counter. I am not sure why this happened. I still have chicken about once a month but I am staring to do the same thing about that. I am not sure how this happened either only my father killed a chicken weekly and my sister and I had to help and I would yell so hard my mother would come out and get me. Now that comes back when I see chickens.I am an odd ball in this family.

[WillParkinson]

7. We tried the cheese slices this morning...

AND THEY MELT!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have never gotten a vegan cheese that melted. As for taste they were pretty darn good.

[JustJoe]

12. Tofutti Mozarella rahx!

[forgethell]

8. Shudder

I just can't ea that stuff myself. You guys take my share.

[Interrobang]

9. Yeah, me too.

The only reason I clicked on this thread was because I'm always vaguely looking for milkless ersatz dairy-type products. I'm deathly allergic to milk. However, I'm NOT looking for realism. I want something that'll fill the ecological niche, so to speak, but which DOESN'T taste like the real thing (I have a well-cultivated aversion, and psychosomatic illness is just as bad as the genuine article). I had some really good soy milk last night that DIDN'T taste anything like milk, but the texture was similar. On the other hand, if it tastes too real, I can't/won't eat it.

To the poster who has terrible attacks of conscience regarding meat -- have you thought of professional help for that? What you're experiencing sounds terribly close to OCD to me. (Then again, I was raised around cows and pigs and chickens, and I can't possibly have sympathy or fellow-feeling for anything that dumb and otherwise useless.) And you might as well throw out the steak. Nothing keeps well in the freezer after six months.

[WillParkinson]

10. Dumb and useless?

Sure, right, whatever.

[JustJoe]

11. Try rice milk.

Rice Dream is the brand. Not as chalky as soy milk.