Sweets?

[CarlaJ]

I've been a l-o veg for 6 years and finally made the move to vegan! I'm doing great and really motivated. One thing I miss... chocolate. I didn't realize how much I liked it until it's off limits (maybe a bite size chocolate/ month) Is there really a good vegan alternative? I think I saw chocolate chips listed in vegan recipes, how is this possible?

Thanks!

[Erin Pavlina]

This is one of my favorite subjects. I love opening up new vegans' minds to vegan junk food.

Chocolate bars: Tropical Source. Great and intriguing flavors!

Chocolate chips: chocolate is really vegan until they make it milk chocolate. There are at least 3 non-dairy chocolate chips being sold in our local Whole Foods. Chatterfields, Tropical Source, and the other one escapes my memory at the moment.

Go to www.veganessentials.com and click on their chocolate section. Also go to www.chocolatedecadence.com for all vegan chocolate.

If you need recommendations on cookies, candies, cheesecake, or donuts, let me know!

Also, if you haven't already, visit our product review pages to see all the great vegan dessert products. http://www.vegfamily.com/product-reviews/index.htm

Enjoy!

[Paprika]

Sorry to butt in..but did you say CHEESECAKE? Yummmmm

Do you have a recipe?

[Erin Pavlina]

Recipe shmecipe. Buy it online at http://www.deliciouschoices.com.

I'm sure there are tons of recipes in the vegan cookbooks. I, myself, have never made a vegan cheesecake, but I know it can be done.

[CarlaJ]

I had the best cheesecake of my LIFE at a vegan restraunt before i was vegan. Raspberry cheesecake... I think about it all the time. Anyone else live in lower michigan? If you do you HAVE to go try it...

Daydreaming about it now!

[CarlaJ]

By the way, I found a Whole Foods store pretty close to my house! About 1/2 hour drive, but not a big deal. I can't wait to go! From what I read on the website, it looks awesome! 35,000 square feet of yummy stuff .. well mostly yummy stuff. :D

[Erin Pavlina]

You're going to love Whole Foods. They carry a lot of vegan products. Yum!

[capersmama]

go to this site (http://www.vegsource.com/talk/recipes/) and direct ANY and ALL of your recipe requests to Chef Deb..she is totally unstumpable!!!!
She can come up with ALL KINDS of yummy recipes!
Plus many of the recipes posted are also quite tasty too :-)
HTH

[CarlaJ]

I love all these recipes, but I find it expensive to buy some of the ingredients for the vegan recipes. They seem so exotic. I don't want to buy 10 ingredients for a recipe and never use them again. I'm only cooking for myself, so it seems to be a waste of money. What do you think?

[Erin Pavlina]

I'm just like you. I don't like to have odd ingredients hanging around. I stick with recipes for things I usually have on hand.

Ener-G egg replacer. Keep it handy. I use it for so many things. I also keep vegan chocolate chips onhand becuase those go great in just about anything. ;)

[capersmama]

I keep nutritional yeast on hand (for various cheez recipes..YUMMY), corn starch, onion powder, garlic powder, and PLENTY of oats (rolled you can buy at regular grocery store..they are the "oatmeal" you buy.and cheaper than at a specialty store) for various burger recipes.
As for the "odd ingredients" I dont buy many. Gear towards recipes that use things you have on hand.

I recently played with a recipe for Cheez and ended up with the BEST jalapino cheez spread/nacho sauce...YUMMY! Play with your recipes..and make them YOURS :-)

[CarlaJ]

I'd love to try that cheez dip recipe. Sounds yummy!

I went to Kroger this weekend and was surprised by the organic section. Impressive compared to other mainstream grocery stores I've visited. I found vegan strawberry shortcake ice cream bars and vegan (as far as I can tell) Newman's Own "oreo's". I also found vegan gummy bears. They had a large selection of different soy milk also. Oh, and found "better than cream cheese".

Getting easier already.

[CarlaJ]

ooo... with blue corn chips! I've GOT to have that recipe!

Can you tell I'm hungry?

[capersmama]

1st off..this recipe was originally for a "brick" of cheez..but I ended up "tweeking" it a bit after having to substitute clear gel for the agar and to tell the truth its way spicy (but didnt make a brick more like the canned nach cheese from campbells soup)..my family loves it on most anything! :-) we love HOT/spicy foods.


In blender add:

2 C water
3/4 c cashew pieces or tahini ( I use the cashews)
2 Tbs sesame seeds or 1 Tbs tahini *omit if using tahini before (I use
the tahini this time)
1 & 1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 C yeast flakes
1/2 c pimentos
2 & 1/2 TBS lemon juice
1 cup of pickled jalapinos with juice (you can add less if a milder
cheez is desired)
BLEND WELL! until completely liquified.
***NOW add 5 TBS clear gel*** and continue to blend. You will have to stop occasionally to stir ingredients down into the blender.
then when thickened place into a large enough container in fridge and chill. ****No cooking required.****
This makes a spread VERY similar to nacho cheese sauce/ or velveeta. Im sure you could get a "Brick" like firmness if you use a little less water (I havent tried that yet)

My family melts it on toast and makes melted cheez sandwiches, nachos chips, veggies, rice..you name it! It doesnt stay around our house long! :-)
Like I said earlier..you can use less jalapino if desired..or possibly leave out jalapinos all together and use a tad less water (the jalapinos add moisture)

I hope it turns out alright for yall!

[Erin Pavlina]

I think pimentos have gelatin in them. I seem to recall that from researching in my early days. I could be wrong. Can anyone else verify?

Maybe it's the pimentos in the green olives that have gelatin. Not a big pimento fan so not sure.

[capersmama]

I buy the Dromedary diced pimentos..the ingredients listed are pimentos, water and trace of citric acid.
Im not familiar with the geletan pimentos.

[Erin Pavlina]

I know that when they put pimentos in green olives they often use gelatin. I never much cared for green olives so I didn't really care either way, but I do remember reading or hearing about that. I wonder...

[capersmama]

Put that brain in gear and Remember :-)
Now youve gotten me curious! Ive never heard of that..luckily I dont do olives either .

[Janine]

Erin, you mentioned that you had recommendations for doughnuts. I'd love to hear them. I wonder if the fresh kind at doughnut shops are vegan.... I'm betting not.
Janine

[Erin Pavlina]

Donuts: Nutrilicious.

Go to www.nutrilicious.com. They have great donuts!

[CarlaJ]

Just thought I'd give you an update. I'm all set now with the sweets. So much so, I've had to concentrate on not buying too many when I go shopping lol.

I found in local stores:
Vegan Chocolate Pudding mix (mix with silken tofu)
Newman's Own Dark Chocolate bar (the best!)
Vegan Ice Cream Sandwiches
Newman's Own "oreos"

I've also found cookies (Oatmeal and Chocolate Chip), and organic vegan breakfast granola bars. I haven't bought either yet, I have too many sweets now! Don't want to get carried away.

I can't believe it's almost been 2 months already!

[Erin Pavlina]

You go girl! Vegan sweets were my undoing. When I first went vegan I lost 20 pounds lickety split. Then I discovered donuts, cookies, etc and started gaining it all back. Ah well...