Vegan Comfort Foods

With the plethora of vegetarian substitutes on the market made to resemble their meat counterparts, i.e., hot dogs, sausage, hamburgers, today's vegan no longer has to make these products at home. Yet, a vegan loves his comfort food just as much as anyone else does. Comfort foods, for anyone, are generally easy to make and wonderful to eat. Try some of the following recipes when you need your dose of comfort.

Bean Stroganoff

1 cup soymilk
2 1/3 cups of oil
1 tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons vinegar
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 cups cooked soybeans
1 cup cooked rice

In a blender, pour cold soymilk and slowly add the oil while blending at high speed. Continue to blend until the mixture becomes very thick. On a low speed, add in the sugar, salt, and 2 tablespoons of the vinegar. Measure out 1 cup of the resulting mix, putting the remainder in reserve in the refrigerator.

To the one cup mix, add in the soy sauce, garlic power and the remainder of the vinegar. Stir with a spatula or wooden spoon until mixed well. Mix together the cooked soybeans and rise, then add the stroganoff sauce. Reheat if needed and serve.

Lasagna

1 package vegan-certified lasagna noodles
1 onion, chopped
1/4 olive oil
5 cups tomato sauce
2 teaspoons each, chili power and oregano
1 teaspoon each basil, salt and paprika
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons brown sugar
3 cloves garlic, crushed.
1 package crumbled tofu or
2 cups cooked vegetables.
Nutritional Yeast (optional)

Prepare the noodles according to package instructions. When done, rinse in cool water to prevent sticking.

In a Dutch oven, sauté the onions in the oil until tender. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer for thirty minutes.

In a greased baking dish, start with a thin layer of tomato sauce, and then add a layer of noodles. Spread out a layer of crumbled tofu or cooked vegetables. Ladle tomato sauce on top. Sprinkle the sauce nutritional yeast if desired. Repeat layers, starting with the noodles and ending with sauce.

Bake for 35 - 45 minutes in a 350 degree oven.

Macaroni and Fake Cheese Casserole

3 1/2 cups vegan-certified whole wheat macaroni, cooked
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup margarine
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons each salt and garlic powder
Pinch of turmeric
1/2 cup olive oil
1 cup nutritional yeast

In a saucepan, melt the margarine and add the flour. Stir until smooth. Add salt, garlic power, soy sauce and turmeric, stirring well until all is incorporated into the roux. Cook until thickened then stir in the oil and the nutritional yeast.

In a casserole dish, combine cooked noodles with half of the fake cheese sauce. Pour the remaining sauce over the top and sprinkle with paprika or pepper if desired. Bake for 20 minutes in a preheated 350 degree oven. Then toast the top of the casserole under the broiler until browned.

Old Fashioned Minestrone Soup

2 onions, chopped
4 stalks of celery, chopped
4 carrots cut into 1 inch slices
1 small head cabbage, shredded
2 medium potatoes cut into chunks
1/2 cup oil
4 cups stewed tomatoes
2 tablespoons each oregano and garlic powder
4 tablespoons basic
1 tablespoon dried parsley
8 cups water
1 cup cooked whole wheat noodles
2 cups kidney beans, cooked
Salt and pepper to taste

In large Dutch oven, sauté onions, celery, potatoes, carrots and cabbage until potatoes begin to brown and the other vegetables become limp.

Add remaining ingredients except for beans and pasta. Simmer for thirty minutes and add pasta and beans and simmer fifteen minutes longer.

Many, many recipes can be adapted to the vegan diet simply by substituting TVP or tofu for the required meat. The next time you need a good comfort meal, see what you can whip up in your kitchen.