It’s been over a month since we watched Cowspiracy: The Sustainability Secret and turned ourselves into veganistas. And It’s been … um … interesting.
On the culinary front it’s been a pretty easy ride. Y’see, right after we watched the movie we didn’t march into the kitchen, swing wide the doors to the refrigerator and freezer, and toss all our meat, dairy, and eggs into the garbage. That’d be crazy. We spent money on that stuff!
But soon … there went the last of the butter … hello, Earth Balance Buttery Spread. Not bad at all. After the last egg had been scrambled, I found a recipe for a great breakfast hash made from mushrooms, bell peppers, onions, garlic, fried potatoes and tofu. Yeah … tofu. I have been making fun of tofu for years. But when it works … it works.
Since I do the cooking around here the challenge was to make breakfast, lunch, and dinner just as satisfying as before. Food isn’t just fuel … it has to be fun too. All our good intentions would slide right out into the street and get hit by a bus if the food doesn’t taste good. So far the transition from animal based meals to vegetarian to vegan has been fairly smooth.
The first Real Vegan Test for me happened when the mayo ran out. As far as I’m concerned the basis for the perfect sandwich, whether it’s a cold cut sub or a cheeseburger, is mayonnaise. There must always be mayonnaise. It is not a subject open to debate. I was skeptical that an egg-less mayo could substitute for the king of condiments, but score one for team vegan with Vegenaise. There is life after Hellman’s. Or if you live west of the Rockies, Best Foods.