Following on from my lil' introductory post, I'm going to do a series of 'Vegan Essentials' posts- that is, things that I've found to be really useful in my vegan journey. These posts are going to be categorized into cupboard, fridge, and freezer, so when you're going food shopping, especially if you're a new vegan, then you can figure out what kind of stuff you need. There's even a shortened, printable version of this list at the bottom so you can just print and go :-)
Without further ado, here's some foodstuffs that are, without fail, in my kitchen cupboards 365 days of the year (aka dry, non-perishable goods)- excluding the boring things like rice and pasta:
- Oreos. Oreos, the Gods of the vegan junk food world. Despite many non-vegans' utter disbelief that something so vegan can taste so good, they are cruelty free and the perfect snack to take to friends' houses and sleepovers to prove that vegan food ain't all fermented soybeans.
- Peanut butter. Mmmm. So creamy, so delicious, so protein-rich (nearly 6g in 20g of smooth, 100% peanut butter). My personal favourite brand is Meridian, because they sell huge 1kg vats of peanut butter, which means I'm never far from sticking a spoon (or, you know, a finger) into a massive tub of heavenly blended peanuts.
- Agave nectar. I didn't think twice about giving up honey when I became vegan, since I'm more of a marmite-on-toast kinda girl, but agave nectar is a bomb replacement for sweetenin' up (almond)milkshakes and the like. Maple syrup is also bomb, but sadly I am not a rich oligarch who can daily sacrifice £5 worth of ambrosial nectar for a batch of brownies.
- Coconut oil. Literally amazing. It can be spread on toast, or used when stir frying for a lil coconut edge, although my personal favourite use is for quickly making vegan chocolate when my family bring out some Dairy Milk and I start salivating at the scent. (Recipe coming soon!!)
- UHT milk substitutes. I love almond milk to the moon and back ,but soy milk is really good too, and often cheaper if you're a vegan on a budget. Other calcium-rich milk alternatives include: hazelnut milk, rice milk, oat milk, and coconut milk. P.S. Chocolate soy milk is liquid crack, and it comes in lunchbox sized cartons that make you feel all primary-school again and long to be wearing a cute gingham dress with a matching scrunchie.
- Tofu. Ew, you say, balking at the thought of the slippery white slab. So many people say "Ahh I would become vegan but I hate tofu...". Yo, we vegans don't eat tofu 24/7! But still, vegans and non-vegans alike quake at the knees at the thought of such a slimy substance. Fear not, you too can become a tofu master if you are willing to learn how to manipulate the enemy. I'll post some recipes soon, and probs a dedicated post to tofu, but for now what you've gotta know is that silken tofu is fab for cheeze sauces and fluffy mousses, but firm tofu is way better for marinating and making into steaks. Oriental supermarkets usually sell super cheap tofu, fyi.
- Nutritional yeast (often known as Nooch in the US). I remember, back in my non vegan days, being asked to research it for science and being like WTF is this??? So, here's the 411. Nutritional yeast is basically vitamin- and protein- rich flakes that look like fish food, but it has an amazing cheesy taste that makes it perfect to sprinkle on pasta or blitz into a cheeze sauce. Heads up: mix some crushed nooch with ground almonds and salt to make a delectable vegan parmesan.
- Egg replacer- either Organ No-Egg or ground flaxseed. These are both perfect egg substitutes in baking, so you can still have your (vegan) cake and eat it. Non-vegans wont even be able to tell the difference.
- Nuts (providing you're not allergic). Instant protein to satisfy concerned mothers. Cashews and walnuts are my favourites, but there's such a huge variety to chose from.
- Dried fruit. Cranberries, apricots, raisins, pineapple; the list is endless. I'm a dried fruit addict, because its so sweet and moreish that as long as you have some readily available in a massive jar, you wont be tempted towards the KitKats etc that lurk beside it (fyi, the rest of my family isn't vegan, hence the Dairy Milk and KitKats).
- Tinned chickpeas/butter beans/kidney beans/tomatos. With these by your side, you can whip up a protein-packed dinner in literally 5 minutes- blitz the tomatoes into a sauce with some dried mixed herbs, stir in the legumes, and serve with tomatoes. You could even go crazy and sprinkle on some nutritional yeast!
- Vegan pesto. As above, pair it with some pasta and that's dinner, faster than getting a burger from McDonalds. Who said vegan food wasn't easy?
I hope this list is useful, and soon there'll be fridge and freezer editions too, as well as recipes to make use of some of the foods mentioned, such as coconut oil chocolate, and what the hell to do to tofu to make it taste good.
Miranda x
P.S. No, sadly I am not affiliated with Meridian or Organ No-Egg, but I just thought I'd share my life-changing discovery of 1kg tubs of peanut butter and this amazing egg substitute.
