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

[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 pate (am eating some of this last RIGHT NOW, in fact). (Also the hummous recipe is v good.)

I always find this a little hard to comment on, though, because in fact I didn't eat dairy much even when I was just veggie, & certainly didn't use it in cooking all that often. If you have specific Things in mind to do dairy-free I might be more useful!

[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!

[plumsbitch]

it was so NOM. I keep meaning to get around to trying it as well.

[slightlyfoxed]

Thanks for this - awesome. Am going to find the yeast flakes. I'm putting lemon juice and pepper, or balsamic vinegar, or soy sauce on random things at the moment and another flavour-alternative for sprinkling would be great.

in fact I didn't eat dairy much even when I was just veggie

I'm a little like that with meat - never liked it much, didn't miss it, and gave it up before I learned to cook with it. Feel bad for those who find it a push to quit it.