Vegan Comfort Foods

[Full tummy]

Feeling a little under the weather tonight, though not necessarily looking for traditional "under the weather" foods. What do you eat (make) when you just want comfort? Have a recipe that's a keeper? Please do share, as I am at a loss...

[janetofreno]

My favorite comfort food is pav bhaji, a Mumbai snack food/one dish meal. I make it with butter, but you can easily substitute olive or canola oil. With oil instead of butter, it is vegan (assuming the bread - see below - is vegan).

Anyway, the "pav" is a soft white bread, similar in consistency, taste, and look to a hot dog bun (and what we often use. But any soft white bread will do). We butter it and toast it, but spreading olive oil and then toasting it would work just as well.

The bhaji is a vegetable stew that is served on the bread, open faced sandwich style. It is thick, about the consistency of mashed potatoes. And potatoes are a must in it, other than that you can sort of make it up as you go...a great way to use up leftover cooked veggies. The bhaji is flavored with pav bhaji spice mix, which can be found in any Indian food store. There is usually a recipe on the back, follow it with your own vegan improvisations. Cooked potatoes, peas, carrots, onions, cauliflower, and/or eggplant always make it into my mix. Chopped tomatoes and cilantro as well. Saute up all the vegetables along with a chopped garlic clove and the Pav Bhaji spice mix (It is best to pre-boil the longer-cooking vegetables, or just use leftovers that are already cooked). Add chopped tomatoes and cilantro and a squeeze of lime; mash the potatoes a bit in the pot and add water until you have the desired consistency (like lumpy mashed potatoes).. Serve on the toasted bread garnished with chopped red onion and cilantro. Sorry I am not giving amounts, but it always varies depending on the crowd I'm cooking for. The beauty of pav bhaji is that it is forgiving, and lends itself to experimentation with the veggie combinations. But it is ALWAYS comforting!

[peanuttree]

one word, baby
VEGEMITE

(not that I'm at all a vegetarian)

[azveggieguy]

Brown a package of Quorn tenders in a skillet, add a can of Amy's semi-condensed mushroom soup, serve over jasmine rice. Does the trick whenever I'm sick.

[glecko]

Not sure Quorn is vegan since it has egg-whites? The combo sounds good though and I'm sure you could find another "chicken-free" tender to include.

http://www.quorn.us/products/28/chikn...

I enjoy refried beans (either home made or canned), salsa, and either chips or tortilla, and assorted veggies. The southwestern US comfort food. :)

[enbell]

quorn is not vegan

[piccola]

Depending on my mood and the season, I go for split pea soup, soft polenta or grits with greens, or a bastardized version of Korean tofu stew. Or sometimes just avocado toast.

[fara]

Someone else mentioned a taco recipe from their mom, well I don't know if it's also because it's my parents recipe but I think it's absolutely delicious and comforting:
chopped red onions cooked in plenty of sunflower oil until soft
chopped green pepper cooked until tender
add 1 can of rinsed black eyed peas and cook on fairly high heat.
when beans are hot, add a good amount of ketchup (maybe 2 tablespoons? and a small amount of low sodium tamari -1 tsp. mix well and continue cooking on high heat until it becomes sort of sticky and caramelized.
cook corn tortillas your favorite way (i like frying them in shallow oil on high heat) and serve with avocado slices and lime,and hot sauce.
i'm guessing that a good vegan taco recipe is not a new thing for this board but my daughter and I absolutely love these. I eat at least 3 every time.

[MrGrumpy]

Guacamole and chips!

[Full tummy]

Yay!! One of my favourites!!!

[GilaB]

Red lentil dal with roasted carrots. I realize that the latter aren't particularly traditional, but it's such a hearty and comforting combo.

[Peaches to Poutine]

Sounds good to me!!

[fara]

mmm, reminds me of split pea soup with carrots. very comforting.

[1MunchieMonster]

Sesame peanut noodles (Smitten Kitchen's version). I have a jar of the sauce frozen in the fridge right now for "emergencies". (http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2008/04/peanut-sesame-noodles/

)

Coconut curry sauced carbs.

Peanut "chicken" but with chickpeas. It's the African peanut tomato sauce and just replace the chicken with chick peas. We originally saw the recipe on the GoodHousekeeping site but it's gone now. So easy and good. This version at SimplyRecipes.com looks good too, but has more work: http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/.... I've made fried tofu to replace the chicken but chickpeas are so much easier and really, it's all about the sauce. :-

)

Chocolate "mousse" pie, the one that's all over the internet with just good chocolate, tofu, and optionally a sweetener like honey or agave.

Refried black bean & hummus "quesadillas" (I just skip the cheese altogether because good hummus is really good). I prefer corn tortillas. Pan fried until a bit browned. If you're feeling lazy, tortilla chips with that mix is even easier.

Now I'm hungry. :-)

[hill food]

what do they sub in for the fish sauce in the peanut sauce?

love peanut sauce noodles. that is comfort food indeed, warm or cold.

[1MunchieMonster]

Soy sauce. I didn't even miss the fish sauce. Maybe this version is more of a Chinese dish and the peanut sauce with fish sauce is more Thai or Vietnamese. Any which way though, yum.

[hill food]

makes sense to me, I could see miso as well. I bought commercial once and it was too darn sweet, as an omnivore I do use fish sauce in my homemade but I always look for vegan tips if guests are coming.

[antimony]

Depending on the recipe, I sometimes use fermented black-bean garlic sauce in place of fish sauce, which isn't really anything like fish sauce (as far as my nose can tell; while I'm sure I've accidentally eaten fish sauce in restaurant food, I'm a lifelong vegetarian and have never tasted it by itself intentionally). But it's fermented and kind of funky.

[hill food]

I used to have a jar of that stuff, it was interesting, I never saw the need to refrigerate it as it just sort of seemed the funkier and weirder the better. I have tasted both intentionally and can confirm you're right, it's nothing like fish sauce, except for that salty, rank 'tastes better than it smells' factor.

[Full tummy]

Great ideas! Thank you!! Peanut sauces are so comforting. Especially for those of us who grew up on peanut butter sandwiches!!!

And yes to the coconut milk idea, too!

[beingvegan]

When I am under the weather, I make soups. I have a few favorites I rotate through: french onion soup, butternut squash soup, mushroom soup, and kale soup.

[MplsM ary]

I guess I keep recommending this, but it's so stupidly easy and quick, even when you are under the weather. Red lentil sloppy Joes (though I just plop the lentils in a bowl and have a slice of toast with it).

1 cup lentils
1 large or 2 small ribs celery diced
1 small onion or 1/2 a large onion diced
1/2 red pepper or any color diced
2 cups water
1 small can tomato paste
1 tablesppon chili powder
salt (I use a 1/2 tsp but you'll probably want more)
1/2 tsp pepper
any other seasonings you wish
ketchup to taste 1/4 cup to ???
sriracha to taste

Cook the lentils in water with celery and onion (and the red pepper if you prefer it cooked) for 15 - 20 minutes. Take it off the heat right before the lentils lose their shape.

After lentils are cooked add everything else and warm it it through.

Yields at least 8 sloppy Joes.

[Full tummy]

Thanks! Will definitely give this one a try. Looks yummy AND healthy.

[MsDiPesto]

Now I know what to do with the red lentils in my pantry! Thanks!

[adventuresinbaking]

Buffalo style tempeh with mashed potatoes and butter. Mix red hot sauce and earth balance with some nutritional yeast until it is a wonderful neon orange color that is not found in nature and thick enough to coat the tempeh. I slice the tempeh into thin squares then bake.

Pizza is another one. I don't make that to much since I am gluten free. Lasagna is another real treat.

[Full tummy]

Mashed potatoes, yes. Seem to appear a lot. And my soy milk/almond milk mash actually are pretty decent. Thanks! And will have to give your sauce a try.

[plantsvsme]

Late, but

rice and lentils with caramelized onions

I don't have a perfect recipe, but I started with Claudia Roden's. The rice is better if it's cooked in oil a bit before adding water.

The cookbook Vegan Diner has a soup that sounds just like the Campbell's broth-y soups my mom fed me as a kid. I haven't tried it, though.

[Peaches to Poutine]

Pretty much anything in Vegan Diner will fill the comfort food bill! It's my husband's favorite of my cookbooks.

Um, let's see, I know Panagea closed, so is there any other vegan or natural foods store you could find alterna-cheeses? I live in small town Quebec near the US border, so I usually end up buying alterna-cheeses that aren't Daiya from natural food stores in Vermont or ordering them from Vegan Essentials to my US dropbox.

[hill food]

has Whole Foods or Trader Joe's expanded into Canada yet? that sounds like a product either would carry.

[blinknoodle]

Upaya sells raw cashew cheeses but I haven't tried them. To be honest, I haven't really looked but I haven't seen almond cheese in Toronto. Daiya can be found at regular grocers, though. If I had to guess where to look, I'd try Essence of Life, Ambrosia, Sweet Potato, The Big Carrot or Noah's, though.

[Full tummy]

I have Daiya, but haven't seen cashew or almond cheese. Will make a concerted effort, though, and also on my trip to Michigan.

[Peaches to Poutine]

Whole Foods yes into Toronto and Vancouver. Trader Joe's has no such plans to expand into Canada (believe me, we've emailed them A LOT.)

[hill food]

those bastards, it took FOREVER for TJ's to come to SF and DC (one would think they'd be no brainers). the silly fools love the profits they're turning now, just didn't believe there would be a customer base for so many years. but I'll reserve further comment for the "Chains" board.

[Peaches to Poutine]

For reals! I'm from Atlanta and totally got spoiled by TJ's. I miss them so hard up in Quebec! :)

[hill food]

ahh - hence your user name! I'd bet the Quebecois and Montreal folks would dig it. heck, places like Winnipeg for that matter.

[Peaches to Poutine]

Actually, the Quebecois and Montreal folks most definitely would NOT like it. There's sometimes discussions about those stores branching out here and it's like an insult to their food identity or something. To be fair, Montreal does have amazing food markets, but aside from the fruit and veg, it's all geared towards omnis!

[Full tummy]

Thanks!!! And I do have that cookbook. Will take a look.
And re. Trader Joe's, I asked when I was in the States about a year ago, and the staff member almost laughed at me as if it was the furthest thing from a possibility that we should have Canadian Trader Joe's!!! Bah!

[Peaches to Poutine]

I think it's also because it's the law here to have bilingual labels on everything and they simply may not want the hassle of dealing with that or with import taxes.

[hill food]

import taxes make more sense, as many labels these days are already in English, French and Spanish.

[Peaches to Poutine]

True! But the only time I've ever seen a food label here that was in a third language other than the two official ones, was usually a specialty foods store. And often they have French translation stickers on them!

[piccola]

There's a place in Vancouver that sells all TJ's products that they buy across the border. It's called Pirate Joe's and it's on W. 4th in Kits. But they don't have much of the perishable stuff, mostly just pantry items and snacks. Still, it's a start!

[Full tummy]

Thanks, will check out the Vegan Diner recipe. I have the cookbook!!

[plantsvsme]

If you try it, I'd love to know what you think of the soup. I think it's called Homestyle Noodle Soup.

[greymalkin]

I hope you're feeling better today! Very yummy suggestions. Since the melted-cheese category seems well filled, I thought I would list some other random things that I find comforting.

* Butternut squash soup with veggie broth and a touch of thyme, five spice or curry powder (depending on which flavor profile you like)
* Potato leek soup
* Veggie chili
* Mashed potatoes or whipped cauliflower with veggie gravy
* Miso soup (with vegetarian broth) and lots of tofu
* Steelcut oatmeal with dried fruits and cinnamon
* O-chazuke (rice with hot tea)
* Baked ziti (pasta + red sauce + olives & bake until edges are golden)
* Toast with earth balance & cinnamon sugar
* "Cheesy" black bean dip (seasoned vegan black beans with nutritional yeast) and tortilla chips
http://www.dailygarnish.com/2012/01/c...

I don't know where you'd find almond cheese in Michigan, but I know there are recipes online on how to make your own if you want to give it a shot. Though maybe not when you're feeling under the weather :)

[Full tummy]

Thanks!! Great suggestions greymalkin.

[Full tummy]

Thanks all, for your replies. I haven't found almond cheese where I'm from - Toronto, Canada. But, I'm planning on making a trip to Michigan sometime in March. Any suggestions on where to buy said almond cheese?

[hill food]

surely in a city as worldly as Toronto it can be found. hard to imagine it would be easier to find in our fine state of Michigan.

[malibumike]

Correct me if I'm wrong but I was under the impression that a "Vegan" eats no animal products such as cheese as opposed to a "Lacto Vegetarian" that can consume cheese, eggs but no meat??

[pinehurst]

Hi there,

There are vegan cheeses that contain no dairy products.

[FutureChefAdam]

There are both soy and almond cheese available in a variety of flavors and styles. Both are dairy free.

In my experience, almond cheese does melt a bit better than the soy versions though.

[Peaches to Poutine]

Daiya is my go-to for pizza, but their wedges melt really nicely for sammiches too!

[FutureChefAdam]

Grilled cheese (almond cheese) and tomato soup is one of my favorite comfort foods.

[Peaches to Poutine]

Macaroni & cheese (I like Chloe Coscarelli's recipe but the super fiddly one in VegNews is good too.)

Sometimes I just make bean burritos, using the flour tortilla recipe passed down to me by my mom for maximum comforty goodness.

A really good soup with a cheese toast as well.

[Rory]

You can make your own vegan cheeses, they're very easy get "The Ultimate Uncheese Cookbook" by Jo Stepaniak (amazon) it's great

My fave comfort foods are chickpea a la king and loaves with mashed potatoes and cashew gravy; 7th Day Adventist cookbooks are amazing at veganizing American comfort foods.. I recommend Newstart. Heres a link
http://www.adventistbookcenter.com/bo...
(and I'm a buddhist btw;-)

[HillsofBeverly]

Yes to the 7th Day Adventists! There was a 7thDA restaurant in my hometown when I went veg in college and that was "the" only veg restaurant around and the food was great! No nouveau Asian fusion, etc. but very solid veg versions of American home cooking, with delicious mushroom gravy over loafy/croquette things, etc.. OMG, and desserts made with fresh dates. Thank you for reminding me of this - I have to see if mom still has the cookbook we bought in the restaurant's attached health food store.

[magiesmom]

Also great pies made with avocados.