Vegan Meal Tips Plus Tasty Garbanzo Bean Salad

If meat-and-potatoes is your standard diet, the thought of preparing a vegan meal may sound intimidating. However, preparing a vegan meal doesn’t mean you need to buy items available only at specialty markets. The two most important things to know about preparing a vegan meal is what to leave out – the animal products, including eggs and milk – and figuring out what items may be used to substitute these items.

Vegan Recipe Substitutions

Vegan noodles and breads are available at some health food stores if you are short on time. However, if making homemade is your preference, use a standard, non-vegan recipe, but substitute the eggs with a vegan alternative, such as ¼ cup of firm or extra firm tofu. Alternately, egg-replacements are available at health food stores. More substitution ideas are available in “Vegan Cooking Tips.”

Additionally, instead of using cow’s milk, substitute unflavored – not vanilla - soy milk, in recipes which call for milk. Shredded soy cheese is also available but read the ingredients as some contain caseinate, a milk protein.

While vegetarian burger crumbles are available at many stores, some of them contain eggs, so be sure to check the ingredients before using them in your menu.

Other options for meat are:

• Seitan – Made from wheat gluten
• Textured Vegetable Protein Flakes – Dried soy, available in small or large flakes
• Tempeh – Fermented soy cakes
• Tofu – Soy cakes
• Beans – Black, kidney, pinto, lentils – use whatever suits your taste

If time is a problem, start in the produce section of your store for salad items.

RECIPE

VEGAN SALAD

SERVES 4 to 6

• 1 head romaine lettuce
• 2 ears of corn
• 1 cup of fresh green beans
• 1 bunch of asparagus
• 1 red onion
• 1 bunch of cilantro
• 1 head of garlic
• 1 cake of tofu
• 1 can of olives
• 1 can of garbanzo beans
• oil and vinegar to taste

Directions:

1. Cut the tofu into bite-sized chunks and marinate in a mixture of vinegar, cilantro, salt, pepper, 4 chopped garlic cloves, and red onion, while preparing the rest of the salad. For extra flavor, prepare the tofu the night before and marinate overnight in the refrigerator.
2. Clean the ears of corn and place in foil. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro, onion, salt and pepper. Place on barbecue or in toaster oven for approximately 15 minutes.
3. Cut the bottom off the romaine head, but keep the leaves whole. Wash and set aside.
4. Clean green beans and asparagus, cut into 1 inch sized pieces and then steam for approximately 8 – 10 minutes.
5. Drain olives and garbanzo beans. Mix together in a large bowl.
6. Drain green beans and asparagus. Add to olives and garbanzo beans.
7. Add tofu to the mixture.
8. Take the corn off the grill and when cooled, slice the corn off the cob; add to mixture.
9. Chop 3 cloves of garlic and add to mixture.
10. After all of the ingredients are mixed, place romaine leaves on dinner plates. Fill each leaf with a scoop of the salad. Sprinkle top with chopped cilantro and red onion.

Serve and enjoy.

Salad - The Easy Option

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