My first ever VEGAN meal!

After long thought of the benefits of becoming vegan, I decided to give it a whirl. I went into the whole process very shyly, walking into my local organic/vegetarian store. I found a few recipes for "beginner vegans," one of which was a very tasty taco dish made with TVP (textured vegetable protein) and it came out delicious! Although I changed the recipe from the original, it still only took me about 5 minutes to make. It tasted like the real thing, but the after affect made me feel so much better than eating a beef stuffed taco! I wasn't ready to take a nap, I didn't feel like a gigantic grease ball and it was actually quite nutritious. I went to a few different places to find some organic and vegan friendly things that I'm planning on trying during the week. I have to say, being a vegan is a little discouraging sometimes. You really don't realise how many things have animal based products in them until you start looking at all the ingredients. I don't think I'm going to be a full-time vegan (partly because of my lack of expenses) but it's opening my eyes to a whole new world that I never considered exploring before I decided to become a healthier person. Here's the recipe, with alterations for a tasty vegan dinner.

Chubby Girl T's TVP Tacos
2 c TVP
2 c water
2 tbsp soy sauce
3 tbsp olive oil
1 pk. taco seasoning (I used Simply organic southern style taco seasoning)
flour tortillas

Heat water on medium heat in a frying pan until water forms small bubbles.
Add TVP to water, and continually mix well until TVP starts to swell.
Lower heat.
Add oil and soy sauce, then add taco mix. Stir well until mix has fully dissloved in TVP.
Turn heat off and take pan off stove. ( I made the mistake of leaving it on low, and the bottom layer of taco filling was sticking and burning)
*You can also add some red or yellow peppers by cooking them in the pan prior to putting the water in, and put them in while you add the oil and soy sauce.
I used non-dairy cheese, tortillas, and my girlfriend made salsa as well.


I'm pretty proud of myself for starting this journey and my girlfriend says my attitude is starting to change, which I'm really happy about. I'm in the process of listening to her yell at the Red Sox for losing to the Yankees and baking vegan Lemon Poppyseed muffins, which I will most likely be blogging about tomorrow on a pass or fail basis.

A question I have on my mind for anyone that is or has been vegan is What is a good substitue for recipes that call for eggs? I know that applesauce is a good one, but eggs have a thicker consistancy and are also an emulsifier for water and oil, and some baking really requires an egg or two. I have found some mixes that don't have animal based products and only require water, but I love making my own food, so if anyone has any ideas, please pop me a line.

Happy eating all of my fellow weight losers.

ChubbyGirlT