Most Common Mistakes Vegans Make... I've Made 'Em All, Part 1

I have become a little lazy with blogging lately. I noticed that I am spending way too much time on facebook, LinkedIn, and the internet in general. These procrastinatory habits, along with receiving my very first rejection from a publisher letter and my incessant journal-keeping, have all led me to feel like a real writer. Finally! Yet, I think I have stated this before. Why, oh why, do I need to have these rites of passage to feel like a real writer? Well, I think it is because society does not always look highly on writers. I mean, isn't everyone writing a book? Doesn't every celebrity have a children's book or a cookbook? Aren't there a billion blogs out there? Who am I, then? Writer, shmiter. By the way, I am beginning to not like blogger/blogpost (the site in which my blog lives). The formatting over the last year sucks. I can't get the layout right and they keep updating and improving blogger until the features are unrecognizable. On another note... Recently, I have come across a few websites that are talking about common mistakes that vegans make. I found these articles helpful and wish I saw them at about the time I became vegan two years ago. Here are a few examples... These mistakes were written by Jenné Claiborne, a vegan chef, cooking instructor, and health coach from the website Amanda Rose Wellness. Here top 3 mistakes are: Mistake #1. You've unconsciously become a Bread-a-tarian I have totally been there and done that. I have toast each morning and often this is the safe go-to option when I am in a restaurant with no vegan options. Bread and salad (without creamy dressing) to be exact. (Often this is what the sympathetic waiter actually offers me as a meal with maybe... just maybe some plain rice. This is the typical scenario which led me to re-introducing cheese in such scenarios. Sniff. You made me eat... cheese.) The salad is not so bad since it may be packed with ingredients but it is hard to get that "full" feeling on leafy greens. This is where the bread comes in. It is very filling and you can dress it up with ump-teen toppings. Mistake #2: You’re not eating enough Okay, this was the case for me two years ago when I first became vegan. Oh my God. It was the first week of being vegan. The headaches, the fatigue, the bitchiness, the crankiness, the light-headed about-to-faint feeling, the I'm-still-hungry-every-hour feeling... did I mention the light-headedness. (My husband asked me if this was "de-toxing". It felt more like withdrawal from some mind-altering substance... not that I have any idea what that is about.) If you're going through this phase of veganism, get out of it REAL FAST. What did I do? Well, I said to myself, "Der gots to be a better way." I went on the internet and found the vegan food pyramid. Ta da! This Vegan Food Pyramid saved my life. I began to follow it and eat all of the servings suggested. When I did this, bought a few vegan cookbooks, and tried these meals, I not only felt full all the time, I felt GOOD. Keep in mind, while I was becoming vegan, I was also recovering from the removal of my whole thyroid, adjusting to the doses of Cytomel and then later Synthroid (the synthetic hormone to replace natural thyroid), and preparing for "going hypo" (I guess I do know about mind-altering withdrawal after all) and then radiation. Given all of this, with lots of adjustments, going vegan was do-able. Mistake #3: Being unprepared As I mentioned, in my early years of vegan-dom, I was totally unprepared. I did not have any makings of a vegan meal in my house other than a half bag of kidney beans and some rice. After I got the vegan pyramid and my cookbooks, I loaded up on such vegan staples as nutritional yeast (still don't know what that is), extra firm tofu, and almond milk. I learned to cook everything from great stews to casseroles to rice dishes to vegan pie and even Jamaican beef patties. (Please see my Vegan Photo Albums for proof.) I have also learned to travel vegan and be not so the pesky houseguest. I buy my own vegan eatables and also make plans ahead for wherever I may be staying. I go to sites like Happy Cow to find out the vegan restaurants in whichever city or community I will be in. But being unprepared is something that still happens to me. The school I teach at just so happens to be beside a Dairy Queen and a gas station. Uh oh... you can guess what happens when Blue Butterfly is at the school and has had an especially busy, hectic, noisy, hot (the portable and classrooms I teach in have no air-conditioning), long day and she is leaving the school at 6pm or 7pm? C'mon. I'm sure you can take a guess. Let me add that I did not bring any 3pm snacks and I'm also famished and I have a sweet tooth... I buy $2.00 bag of mixed-nuts... $2.00 for 75 grams of something that I can make at home for a lot cheaper and did you see the fat content? 28 grams of fat for a 75 gram bag of trail mix! Half the content of this bag is fat. OR... it gets worse. I tiptoe into Dairy Queen and I check out their flavour of the month blizzard but then I don't buy their flavour of the month blizzard. Instead, I by a mini or small Dairy Queen Turtle Blizzard with cookie dough. This is what I'm eating, people! These foods are not even vegan! Plus, if you look like on my list "Why Did I Get Thyroid Cancer?", milk is on that list. Oh... the horror! Okay, well I know the first step in recovery is to acknowledge that there is a problem. The second is to take the first step in fixing it by stocking up on vegan snacks in my classroom (a nice collection of seeds since nuts are not allowed due to the peanut allergy, dried fruit, soynut butter sandwiches, fruit, soya or coconut yogurt, a mini-fridge in my classroom to store it all) and getting my ass out of the school at a decent hour. (C'mon! Everyone knows teachers finish working at 3 o'clock. Duh!) But I shouldn't be so hard on myself. At least, I try to live a vegan existence in this meat-a-tarian world or at least this side of the world is. If I lived in many rural parts of the world and/or my fish allergy was non-existent, my diet would consist of very little meat. So at least, I am giving myself a pat on the back for making the effort. But still... they made me eat cheese.

98 year old Vegan

Vegan athletes solve the 'protein problem'

One of the most frequent questions I get asked as a vegan is where does my protein come from. This clip is proof that you can still be an active and athletic while vegan. Great news as I prepare for my second running event as a vegan-- my 10km.

Music Issue of VegNews

I am loving the latest issue of VegNews magazine. It's called The Music Issue and it's so long overdue. In addition to punk and pop articles, there is a whole section on hiphop icons who have gone vegan. Artists like Erykah Badu, MC Lyte, Russell Simmons, and dead prez. By the way, stic.man of dead prez is the husband of Vegan Soulfood Guide to the Galaxy cookbook author/holistic health counsellor/master crochet-er Afiya Ibomu. Then there are a whole host of artists that I have never heard of. They even gave a shout out to Canadian hip hop artist k-os who I have met on a few occasions. Although he has stood me up twice for failing to honour his commitment to appear at events I organized, I will let it go on account that he is vegan. In fact, here is a video that he did talking about his veganism for PETA. Then there are folks I'd like to read more about like most of the members of the Roots and WuTang Seeing this kind of stuff connects my heart and my soul (and my ears) to the reason why I've become vegan in the first place. Well, I am technically a vegan who eats ovo-/lacto-desserts. I am not fully okay with that either. I think it is contradictory however this is something I am trying to work on. However I am prouder than ever to be veg. Pick up your copy of VegNews today.

The Beautiful Truth

I am watching this interesting documentary called The Beautiful Truth which looks at the Gerson Therapy- a cure for cancer through diet.

WARNING: Creepy music played throughout this documentary.

Wha Me Eat

British-born of Jamaican parents, Macka B is a reggae artist, performer, activist, and fellow vegan. More specifically, he follows a strict Rastafarian Ital deit. I love his fun roots reggae tunes especially this one, Wha Me Eat. I think should be my new anthem.

Sistah Vegan

After listening to her lecture online, I must thank A. Breeze Harper for inspiring me to critically examine my class-privilege as an educated middle-class woman. You can listen to her lecture here.

A. Breeze Harper


Although I was raised in a predominantly working class immigrant community, I understand now how the issues of economics and race play a part in the rhetoric around veganism and issues of access to healthy food, even in a wealthy nation like Canada. Having reviewed a number of pro-vegan books on this blog so far including Veganist, Crazy Sexy Diet, Skinny Bitch, and The Kind Diet, the important topics of access, socioeconomics, and race were missing from the discourse.

I grew up the child of Jamaican immigrants. In the late 1990s, when I was about twenty years old after I heard that livestock (natural herbivores) were being fattened with the diseased remains of ground up "dead cows", I tried to be a vegetarian. Living in this community, there were (and still are) no health food stores so I had to do a lot of my shopping downtown and take the subway and bus to transport these goods home. Forget about health information, I did not have access to it like I do now. I did not own a computer and had very little internet access. In essence, I was isolated from other vegans and when I moved away to college with fish and bean allergies (the latter I outgrew), my vegetarianism ended after challenging nine months.

Now, after Harper's work Sistah Vegan: Black Female Vegans Speak On Food, Identity, Health, and Society, I have an even better understanding of the intersectionality of veganism with identity, politics, and social justice issues like the ones I faced when I just adopted a plant-based diet. Sistah Vegan is refreshing and engaging. It provides something that was lacking in the other books on veganism that I read-- the voices and experiences of Black people and people of colour.

Reading Sistah Vegan reminded me of the types of discourses I would have in my graduate studies courses where we spoke critically and questioned everything. Through a series of twenty-five thoughtful essays and poems by African American women and one white female ally, Sistah Vegan expands on the diversity and complexity of the issues that are raised in veganism. It is a very honest, personal and concise dialogue about veganism. By virtue of being Black, these writers not only have a racialized lived experience like me but many of us asked questions about reclaiming our health. As I have been reading other books about factory farming including, most recently, Farm Sanctuary, I see connections between the horrors of slavery and abuses to slavery. Sistah Vegan helped me to understand that these observations were no coincidence and there are many parallels between animal rights and the liberation movements of groups. In addition, I gained a better understanding of how much of the rhetoric around veganism tends to reflect a white middle-class bias. As a new vegan in Toronto, I have noticed a lack of diversity at most vegetarian and vegan events I have attended. For example, like many of the contributors, I found that I was the "only Black person" at veggie events. At the recent Toronto Vegetarian Food Festival, I questioned this lack of diversity in a conversation with a fellow African-Canadian vegan who also attended. I know several Black vegetarians and vegans through the school I teach and elsewhere but did not see enough evidence of this diversity in the discussions and representation. However all of the guests on the panels and the overall tone of the event sounded very "white middle class" and it's not because veganism and vegetarianism are unheard of in other cultures. (I do give some credit to the organizers for having some diversity with the Hare Krishna meditations, food vendors, and Latin cooking demonstration by Terry Hope Romero. This is some representation but not enough for such a culturally ethnically diverse city such as Toronto.) The organizers would not have had to look far for more diverse examples of veganism. For example, in my Jamaican heritage, there is a tradition of vegetarianism and holistic healing that exists in many non-western cultures. Rastafarians originated a term called Ital which is vegan, although some Rastas may include dairy and fish in their diet. Contributor Nia Yaa defintes Ital as being "natural and in tune with the Most High and all of nature" in the chapter called What You Cooking, Grandma?.

Here's a little taste of Ital Cooking in Jamaica:


Although the Sistah Vegan writers are all American women, my struggles and concerns as an African-Canadian woman are very similar especially regarding the ongoing impacts of over four hundred years of colonization, slavery, and racialization. I have gained a clearer understanding of how my adoption of a vegan diet was not only an individual act inspired by my diagnosis of cancer, the desire to know more, and positively change the course of my healing and recovery but is the participation in a revolutionary act. Revolutionary since I questioned the status quo [most of my doctors who said I could do nothing about cancer], chose to make conscious choices about the way I eat, continue to educate myself about the benefits of veganism, and seek to understand the social/health implications of what I am doing to affect the future course of my health.

Being Black in the Americas and vegan means debunking unhealthy legacies. Throughout slavery and colonialism, Black slaves were forced to eat the leftover scraps of animal remains that were not wanted by the slave master. For African Americans, these items include ham hocks, pigs' feet, gizzards, tripe, oxtails, and chitlins (pig intestines). In Jamaica, these foods included goat stomach (for mannish water, a soup that was one of my favourite dishes as a kid), goat heads, pigs' feet, tails, nose, and ears, and cows' feet. Many of these "cast off" foods have remained in our cuisines and soulfood dishes. As a young girl, contributor Nia Yaa asked her grandmother about the tripe dish that she was preparing. Since she was quite young, she could only ask 'What "smells like poop"?' to which the reply was, 'It is poop'. I too remember the terrible smell of goat stomach simmering in the kitchen but the spicy sophisticated distinct taste of the resulting mannish water (goat belly soup). In the spirit of improvisation, people of African descent have disguised, seasoned, roasted, and spiced these seemingly disgusting entrails and body parts into tasty delicacies because that is what the hardships and survival required. However today, many Blacks in North America have choices to eat meals that heal our bodies in ways that were not available in the past. In the poem featured in the chapter I Am Sistah Vegan, Tasha Edwards asks:

When [Martin Luther King] spoke of being 'Free At Last,' did our Americanized palates ever
Come up for discussion?
Was anybody rushing to say 'We Shall Overcome Cancer and Obesity'
Or are we still holding on to our story about how 'Massuh' fed us the scraps
And that's all we know how to eat?

The change of diet is major and does require a "decolonization" of our palettes, our tastebuds and memories of several loved soulfood and homecooked dishes, making way for meals that are more nutritious, and making choices for whole foods when before there were no choices. Unfortunately, many Blacks, as I did in the neighbourhood I grew up in, live in areas that are lacking health food stores, farmers' markets, food co-ops, and fresh fruit and vegetable options. For many, due to geography, it is much easier to access fast foods and alcoholic beverages than wholistic foods that build.

For several Sistah Vegans, choosing veganism has meant their Blackness and loyalties were questioned by others. No more is this truer for the writers who spoke about their stance on animal rights. They are often confronted with accusations of "acting white" or turning their back on the injustices affecting the Black community. However there is a "complexity in complicity" (Pattrice Jones' chapter, read on). As Breeze Harper writes in Social Justice Beliefs and Addiction to Uncompassionate Consumption: Food for Thought, the question is, 'How did our ancestors eat before colonization? Was our concept of consumption polluting our water?" Or as Mary Spears in the chapter "Eyes of the Dead" writes:

How many of my ancestors
Were treated like today's farm animals?
...
When I hear of calves
Being taken from their mothers
To be sold as veal
I can hear the wailing voices of mothers
Crying for their babies
As the slave master takes them away
...
So when I looked into those stunned eyes today,
No one could have said to me,
"What's the big deal?" "It's just an animal."
I could have remembered a time
When someone might have said the same about me


In Being a Sistah at PETA, Ain Drew writes about being in her dream job of working as the Urban Marketing Coordinator for the People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) that turned out to be full of challenges and another form of discrimination which resulted in her dismissal.


Ain Drew


Ironically, it was a controversial 2005 PETA ad campaign that inspired editor A. Breeze Harper to create the Sistah Vegan anthology. Known for its shock tactics including throwing blood on furcoat wearers and "calling Hollywood celebrities out" on their use of animal skins and furs, PETA called The Animal Liberation Project in which, according to Harper in The Birth of the Sistah Vegan Project, images of "human suffering [were] juxtaposed with nonhuman animal suffering: a painting of Native Americans on the Trail of Tears positioned next to a photo of herds of nonhuman animals being led to their demise; the atrocity of a Black man's lynched and torched body next to a picture of an animal that had been burned; a black-and-white Jewish Holocaust photo next to animals in confined, crammed structures on a meat production farm". Harper indicates that most of the images were obtained from Black Americans' past with slavery and Jim Crow segregation. These resulting ads were deemed offensive by the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) and other Black associations and individuals. Many Blacks felt that PETA was a racist organization for comparing the suffering and injustices of African Americans to those of animals. I must agree with Harper that it was not the message that was wrong but the tone and delivery that PETA used. I also agree with Pattrice Jones, the only white and non-Black contributor to this anthology, who wrote Liberation As Connection and the Decolonization of Desire, that it was not necessary for PETA to use and manipulate the suffering of [Black] ancestors to make the 'dreaded comparison'.

Pattrice Jones


You can visit PETA The Animal Liberation Project website here.



In Sistah Vegan, there are also several mentions of Queen Afua's book Sacred Woman which I reviewed here a few months ago and the ways in which it influenced several contributors on the path to natural healing and veganism. In addition, there is the mention of Civil Rights activist/comedian/vegetarian/writer Dick Gregory on exposing the writers to veganism. I have never heard of theorist Gregory but have definitely seen him in the media and wish to learn more about his work.

Queen Afua


Dick Gregory


I guess what you're reading here has become less of a book review and more of a critical response to the state of veganism from a "working-class raised, educated middle-class Black-Canadian of Jamaican heritage" perspective. Obviously there is so much to say about the Black female perspectives on veganism. So I'll get back into review mode. I love the variety of texts presented in Sistah Vegan from essays to poetry, from vegan aphrodisiacs (The Food and Sex Link by Angelique Shofar) to nutritional recommendations (Ma'at Diet by Iya Raet), from animal rights activists to holistic healers, from 'ecowomanism' (Veganism and Ecowomanism by Layli Phillips) to body image and less Eurocentric definitions of healthy female bodies (Veganism and Misconceptions of Thinness as 'Normal' and 'Healthy': Sistah Vegans Break It Down In Cyberspace compiled by A. Breeze Harper), from raw veganism to whole foods, from physical fitness to spirituality, from hip hop urban culture to the indigenous Afrikan approaches... this book represents a diverse collective of voices who discuss veganism from "multiple, integrated angles. Race. Sex. Class. Health. Sexual orientation. Environment. Decolonization. Animal liberation" (from Jones' chapter).

From this text, which I plan to read again and refer to again, I am even more encouraged to continue this vegan journey. I may be the only Black person at some vegan, vegetarian, or animal rights events but I will not let that stop me from learning as much as I can and incorporating it with the rich knowledge- and cultural-base from which I claim my ancestry. I am also quite hopeful about taking control of my health. In both Canada and the U.S., my people, Black people, are at an increased risk for developing hypertension, certain cancers, heart disease, obesity, and diabetes than the general population. I understand that there is a genetic link however I do believe that these diseases were largely influenced by the impact of colonial foods that lacked nutrition but were the only means of nourishment available in slavery. Today there are even more threats to our health. There are these colonialized "soulfoods" but there are also fast foods, factory farmed livestock, genetically modified crops, junk foods, overprocessed foods,... to be contended with. We cannot afford to be complicit to eating these foods mindlessly but reclaim our consciousness in selecting foods that beautify, heal, and build our bodies. For the first time in decades, we can control what we eat and have an influence on the course of our health. There is enough credible information out there not to do otherwise. Thankfully, there is a wealth of culturally-relevant vegan books that can help me stay connected with my roots as well including Caribbean Vegan, The Vegan Soulfood Guide to the Galaxy, Viva Vegan!, and Sacred Woman. The Reasons to Vegan are diverse and complex.

I am happy to say that I am part of a movement to turn around the statistics. I am also pleased to say that I am choosing to eat in a way that is aligned with my beliefs of social justice, non-violence, holistic health, and well-being. To my pleasure, I have learned that the way I approached my healing journey is aligned with an an Africentric holistic approach that incorporates mind, body, spirit, creativity, and community. I hope to inspire others to question their eating practices and make better choices to influence their health. Thanks Sistah Vegan.

Me in my Ghanaian dress


A. Breeze Harper is also proof that you can have healthy pregnancies, shrink your fibroids, raise babies who love kale chips, and write a PhD dissertation for UC Davis all while being vegan. Check out Breeze's blog .

Here is one of her videos about Sistah Vegan.


Speaking of hip hop and veganism, check out this music video which I love called "Wheatgrass" by Denver, Colorado-based popular educator/activist/urban farmer/environmental sustainable rapper DJ Cavem. Watch out for the cameo of Sistah Vegan.

Wheatgrass by DJ Cavem


Coming Up: The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari by Robin Sharma

27th Annual Vegetarian Food Festival

Okay, y'all know how heartbroken I was over losing the Burrito Bonanza contest to attend the first annual Vida Vegan Blog Conference in Portland, Oregon this year. (Oh yes, about three weeks before the conference, they told me that I got through on the waiting list but by then, it was waayyyy too close to the date and I could not afford the registration fee plus travel and accomodations.)

I say all that to say this, who needs some Vegan Blog Conference? (Yeah, I know, I know, I was not saying that in June when I wrote Not Winning.)

Why fly to Portland when I have a goldmine in my own backyard?

The 27th Vegetarian Food Festival



D'uh! How could I forget?

It's like North America's largest vegetarian event and it has been going on since the 1980s. That counts for coolness. And plus it is held in Toronto... EVERY YEAR!!!

Oh yes. And it's FREE! I love me some FREE!

There will be speakers, cooking demonstrations, performances, food, samples, books, children's area, etc., etc., etc...

It is organized annually by the Toronto Vegetarian Association of which I am a member.

I have been to and blogged about other TVA events including Compassion Week Marketplace, Social Dinners, 10, 000 Tastes, Ten Billion Reasons, and the Veggie Pride Parade.

I attended the Vegetarian Food Festival years ago and tried the imitation fish. I guess it tasted too real because my body had a reaction (I am allergic to real fish).

But I'm not letting that experience stop me from attending this event that has been promoted in many media publications including my favourite veg magazine, VegNews.

I decided not to volunteer at this event since September is a crazy busy time for me and I just wanted to enjoy the festival from the perspective of a visitor and fellow blogger.

I am really hoping to check out Terry Hope Romero's workshops about Vegan Blogging and her cooking demonstrations. Terry Hope is the co-author of Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World, her recipes have won me friends and the accolades of my dearest.



Terry Hope Romero, vegan baker extraordinaire



Her famous Cupcakes that I made for the Sunday School picnic




Her red velvet and carrot cake cupcakes that I made for my ICanSurvive Picnic pre-*$&#in' awesome cream cheese frosting. Everyone loved them and could not get enough.



Check out the schedule here.

I was going to check out a bunch of wedding shows this weekend but who needs wedding shows when you got all of Vegetarian Canada/Toronto/North America in town? (Plus, I went to last year's wedding show.) There's also The Neck Check organized by Thyroid Cancer Canada happening this Saturday, September 10th at Sherway Gardens.

Can't wait!

The Last Heart Attack

The Last Heart Attack is a really informative documentary about the benefits of a vegan diet on heart attack prevention. I know its not about cancer prevention but the steps and suggestions are useful to prevent illness and do promote a healthy lifestyle. As indicated in Crazy Sexy Diet, The China Study, and other books, going vegan can help prevent cancer and a host of other conditions including diabetes and heart attack.

Vegan on the Cheap

The vegan is a herbivore in an omnivorous world. Ever notice how much it costs to buy vegetables? I have noticed in the low income areas of my city (Toronto) that it is more and more difficult to find healthy options. Thank God for supermarkets that offer healthy goods at decent prices. Sometimes, I buy foods at these businesses when I need to stretch (s-t-r-e-t-c-h) my dollar. But most of the times I choose to eat organic which is a little pricier but eliminates the other stuff I don't want like pesticides, genetic modification (GMO), and more fair farming practices. There is a reason why buying vegetables cost more in the US which is the government (RE: tax dollars) heavily subsidize the meat and dairy industries which are largely factory farmed. Thus, it is cheaper to buy meat and dairy than veggies in the US. Having grocery shopped in both the US (New York City to be exact) and Canada, I think we Canadians have it a bit better for purchasing fresh produce at more affordable rates. There are more options for me living in Toronto to rely on cheaper healthier sources for my veggies like food co-operatives (like Karma Food Co-Op, The Big Carrot), discount supermarkets (like No Frills, Price Chopper), community non-profit initiatives to access healthy food for all (like FoodShare, The Stop), and farmer's markets (like Dufferin Grove, Evergreen, The Stop Farmer's Market). Whole Foods, a popular US food chain which stocks many a vegan product, is relatively new in Canada. I thought we still had two locations but now I've seen that it has expanded to seven. Although very lovely, Whole Foods is considered more high end and a bit of a luxury here in Canada. Whereas my sister in the US indicates that Whole Foods is not that much different in price than other supermarkets.

Veganism is replete with healthy options. So when a book like Vegan on the Cheap: Great Recipes and Simple Strategies that Save You Time and Money by Robin Robertson comes along, it's a lifesaver. Now vegan eating is not only cheaper but takes less time. I really appreciate that. I will be going back to work soon and juggling writing, planning a wedding, and other commitments, so any tool that helps me to save on these precious resources (time and money) is a god-sent. So what can you learn from this book? On Page 2, Robin starts off with selling you on, "How a Vegan Diet Can Save You Money?" 1. Grocery bills, 2. Medical bills, and 3. Dining out. The cost of being a vegan is slightly higher upfront but can have a great benefit in the long run. She provides helpful meal planning, grocery shopping, and food preparation tips, as well as a cost saving comparison chart. If you make some of the vegan basics (such as mayonnaise, salsa, sun-dried tomatoes, seitan, vegetable broth) from recipes in her book instead of buying the store-bought products, you can save over $ 72.39. I have had the pleasure of trying out many of these recipes, which you can find photos of in my Vegan on a Budget (Vegan Photo Album 4), for the last few months. Vegan on the Cheap is a frugal masterpiece and a necessary addition to the thrifty efficient cook's bookshelf. Robin Robertson has also written a whole library of vegan cookbooks which you can check out on her site here.

Vegan on a Budget (Vegan Photo Album 4)

Living on a limited budget (I know it may not seem like it but I'm living on pennies, prayers, and air here, thank God for VISA and MasterCard), I have had to look at ways to cut back on my food and grocery spending. A portion of my budget is taking care of acupuncture, naturopathy, and herbal meds which I hope I can claim the receipts on next year's income tax. In addition to my decision to eat a plant-based, mostly organic diet, it ain't cheap!!! It was very refreshing to discover Vegan on the Cheap: Great Recipes and Simple Strategies that Save You Time and Money by Robin Robertson. (Read my review here.) Robin has probably written more vegan cookbooks than anyone on this planet. You can visit her site here. I believe it did that (most of the time) and the meals were (mostly) tasty and inexpensive. (Please read my review of this book.) I must say that I have noticed a decrease in my grocery receipts over the last few weeks. I have also made some foods from other vegan cookbooks I have been using.

I noticed that the last Vegan Photo Album that I posted is pretty popular. I hope that this one (Vegan on a Budget) shows you even more how doable a vegan lifestyle is. Some people ask if I get enough protein or am missing out on anything. Hopefully after you see this album, you will put those doubts to rest.

I love posting my Vegan Photo Albums but they are very time consuming. This one has taken be about six hours in total. I have to figure out a more time-efficient way to do it. Trust me! I love cooking these foods and showing them off so it is a labour of love, no doubt.



Dan-Dan Style Linguine from 'Vegan on the Cheap' by Robin Robertson
Hot and spicy, peanuty and creamy are some of my favourite food words. This dish is made with tempeh and I believe that this was the first time that I cooked this nutritious fermented tofu treat. Tempeh has amazing health benefits. Because it is fermented, it contains the whole soy bean, retains its nutrition, and is probiotic (contains beneficial bacteria which restores the good balance of bacteria in your intestines). Plus it is easier to digest and is not estrogen-rich. Women with estrogen-sensitive breast, ovarian, or uterine cancer are advised to avoid or limit soy products. I think this is good advice. Being a vegan, I find it tricky to limit soy-product intake. It's everywhere! (Especially in meat replacement products.) According to Kris Carr in the Crazy Sexy Diet, there is tons of research that proclaims the benefits of soy products (few menopause symptoms, fewer cancers, less osteoporosis, stronger bones) too as well as some that announces some of its downfalls (thyroid complications, fewer sperm for men, increased prostate cancer risk). It is best to eat the non-processed stuff but again as a vegan it is harder to avoid this stuff (often contained in veggie dogs, ground beef substitutes, veggie burgers, etc.) I think the best thing is moderation. Dan-Dan, I learned, is a traditional spicy Szechuan noodle dish.


Tempeh that has just been boiled for 30 minutes, cooled, and then crumbled a bit.


The tempeh sizzles.


Creamy peanutty, spicy sauce! I got to get my "peanut fix" when I'm not working as a teacher since all of the schools in my province are "peanut-free zones", so my lunches cannot contain this stuff..


Ready for my fiancé and me. Topped with peanuts and green onions.


Very tasty and satisfying. We loved this dish.



Simply Simmered Seitan from 'Vegan on the Cheap' by Robin Robertson
This is my third attempt at making seitan and my second recipe for this treat. Seitan, pronounced say-tan or see-tin (I have not figured out how to pronounce this words as it tends to differ depending who you ask), is made from gluten flour (a protein that comes from wheat). It originated in Asia and consumed by Buddhist vegetarian monks. Seitan is an excellent source of protein, especially for those who have soy allergies or estrogen-sensitive conditions. Seitan is not so good if you have a gluten sensitivity or allergy. I have tasted good seitan and bad and I must say that this recipe falls in the former category. At first I was a little skeptical since the pieces tasted so salty, however I loved how it tasted amazing in the Savory Vegetable Cobbler, listed below. What makes the seitan so brown and salty? The soya sauce. I used tamari in this case.

Cooked in a broth of onions, garlic, and, you guessed it, soya sauce.

Looks like meatloaf...

Tastes like roast...

Texture like a softer version of a meatloaf.



Savory Vegetable Cobbler in 'Vegan on the Cheap' by Robin Robertson
This dish was ama-zing!!! It made an ample 6 servings and I unfortunately had just 2. (I took them in containers on my writing retreat. Even microwaved two days later, this was amazing stuff.) This dish is a great example of veganizing a classic comfort food! Great for cold winter evenings except I had it in the summer. Much like a veggie pot pie. The seitan was slightly salty (adding a bit to the salt quotient in this dish) but not over powering. The herbs and spices were savoury and mild kind of French tasting with marjoram, sage, and thyme. I used spelt flour for the sauce and topping. This was so tasty I need to have my girl friends over to have some.

A great way to hide celery (not my favourite vegetable but so good for you) by stirring it in with some veggies.

Adding the secret sauce (actually, it's some sort of gravy). It is browned with soya sauce. I used tamari.


I tried to spread the topping out as much as I could. The recipe said I was allowed to cheat so you can see the stuff below peaking through. The topping is not symmetrical and does not go right to sides but it bakes up nice.


The crust is f&*(^# awesome!!!


A yummy balanced meal with some steamed kale and cherry tomatoes on the side.



Quick Lo Mein from 'Vegan on the Cheap' by Robin Robertson
This was a fairly simple and straightforward meal to prepare. The recipe said I could use ramen noodles (the cheap noodles that come in packs) but they tend to be higher in sodium, low in nutrition, and I will never forget the lady who worked at the dollar store who said she used to feed them to her cat. Instead, I chose whole grain spaghetti which is more power-packed.

Tasty noodly goodness.



Stovetop Cheezee Mac from 'Vegan on the Cheap' by Robin Robertson
Bleck! Oops, did I say that out loud. The idea of easy cheesy macaroni a la vegan sounded wonderful, yet my fiancé and I could not but get through all of the servings. He barely finished one, I had three since I hate to throw food away but in the end I did throw it away. :-( The first mistake, I made this macaroni using Le Creuset cookware. Given to us as a gift from a garage sale (in mint condition!!!), Le Creuset is made from iron and heats up super-fast. It's enamel coating is not non-stick (which I keep forgetting). This mean that the pasta and sauces stuck to the bottom too quick for me to keep up. Another problem, the recipe said that the sauce should thicken so while I waited longer to see that my beautiful cheezee sauce was burning a little bit. And even I took out the very few burnt bits, there was this burnt taste to the whole dish. Finally, this dish lacked salt which made the "cheeze" unconvincing and unsatisfying.

Started off well. The macaroni looks good.

The cheeze sauce is smooth and creamy.

Green peas added.

This is about when it started to go wrong (and taste burnt).

Oh it looks so good. Sigh! Too bad it tastes like crap.




Coconut Curry Rice from 'Vegan on the Cheap' by Robin Robertson
I love the combination of coconut with rice. What a lovely invention!!! This was a satisfying meal!

I soaked the raw chick peas for two days. Yes! Two days!!! I don't know if you already know this but let me tell you what happens to chick peas after soaking for two days. First, it smells and second, it sprouts and third, it gets mucus-y (or sappy, depends on your perceptions). Even though I placed these soaked peas in the refrigerator after day one and I had a piece of seaweed soaking with them (the seaweed breaks up the sugars that cause gas), I found I had to rinse, rinse, rinse that stinky smell out. It never completely left until I boiled those suckers with more seaweed. And yes, you can eat sprouted chick peas.

A yummy savoury masterpiece. Curry makes anything taste good.



Tropical Betty from 'Vegan on the Cheap' by Robin Robertson
This dish could be called something I can't name here. It is sooooo good. Once I learned that I could put both the ripening bananas from on top of my refrigerator and the ripe mango my father gave me, along with pineapple and more coconut goodness, all in the same dish, I knew I had a winner on my hands. Warning: Ladies, if you feed this to your partner be prepared for them to grant you any wish you request. (Okay, maybe not any wish but I tried.) This is a refreshingly sweet tropical treat. The crust is a combo of shredded coconut, bread crumbs, sugar, almond milk, and butter. So good, I ate it raw too.

Yummy tropical filling.

The crust that tastes good raw and cooked.


Topped with some Vanilla Island coconut ice cream from Coconut Bliss.






Penne-Wise Peanutty Pasta from 'Vegan on the Cheap' by Robin Robertson
This peanutty pasta survived the LeCreuset trip. Perhaps, I kept a sharper eye. The result was a very tasty, slightly sweet meal that was filling and satisfying.

Sneaking in the veggies.







Indian-Spiced Lentil Ragu from 'Vegan on the Cheap' by Robin Robertson

This was such a tasty treat. I loved to eat this ragu just like this by the spoonful. Forget the rice. I think it's the spinach that has the satisfying flavour. The texture is really creamy and mild.

Didn't really like the rice so much. I haven't had too much luck with cooking brown basmati rice lately. Maybe it's that darned Le Creuset pot.



Rice Pudding from recipe on the Internet

Lucky to find such a great recipe like this on the internet. A great way to use up an overexcess of too moist brown basmati that was cooked in Le Creuset cookware. I think this is the recipe I used. I don't remember there are so many recipes on the internet. It was so sweet and tasty and reminded me of the Indian desserts I love so much except without the dairy. Yes, those are raisins.



Tofu Fried Rice from 'Vegan on the Cheap' by Robin Robertson





Black Beans with Sofrito over Rice from 'The Tropical Vegan Kitchen' by Donna Klein
This recipe had to be completed in two parts. First, the sofrito I learned is a tomatoey/peppery sauce which sauce that is takes its own share of seasonings. Next, it is added to the black bean preparation. It tasted okay. Nothing too exciting or amazing. Maybe it needed some hot sauce.


Again, crappy rice.




Island Casserole from 'Vegan on the Cheap' by Robin Robertson
Yummy yummy yummy! This is like Tropical Betty in a meal form. Just like the dessert, it has pineapple and coconut goodness, except it has rice... cooked in coconut milk! Oh, heaven! This dish was very tasty. I used soaked red beans which needed to be cooked extra, extra long to get them to that nice soft creamy texture. (I almost got there.) The rice was a little more al dente (slightly crispy) than I'm used to but it totally worked for this dish since it was baked in the oven. We really liked this one.






Deconstructed Enchilada Bake in 'Vegan on the Cheap' by Robin Robertson
This dish was pretty tasty but it seemed a little like it was missing. Maybe it was just me but my fiancé particularly enjoyed it but I don't know. I used Daiya cheddar-style cheese which I like but it didn't quite give me the taste I was looking for in this dish. It was filling and yummy. I think I know what this dish needs? Some refried and mashed pinto beans along with avocado as well as wheat tortillas instead of corn. I will try it again.

Chipotle sauce and corn tortillas












Bajan Macaroni Pie with Tofu Cheddar in Caribbean Vegan by Taymar Mason
As I have said so many times in this blog, Taymar Mason is amazing with her recipes and quickly is becoming a household name. Now, this is real vegan cheese. How did she know? How did she come up with this recipe? Maybe it's that biochemistry background, I don't know but there is no dairy in this stuff and yet it does not lack flavour. I am sure to fool many a carnivore with this creation. Spicy like fire, yet so flavourful and good you beg for more (although you can almost feel the blisters forming in your mouth, I know, I'm quite graphic and exaggerating.) Thank you for bringing a comfort food favourite to life with some Caribbean flare. I also big-up Taymar for adding this recipe for time-deprived folks since it requires less time than many of her other recipes. What's the secret?

First, add the tofu cheddar.


Next, the roux which is a fancy French word for creamy sauce (I think).


Looks good?


Now you stir it up


And bake it. The macaroni comes out a little al dente but so yummy.


So tasty and did not last long in our household.




Samosa Pie from Vegan on the Cheap by Robin Robertson
I get sentimental when I see these photos since they were the first recipe from this book I made. I felt a little dooped learning that I had to make the Double Pie Crust which added double the time. Nevertheless, I was rewarded with an amazingly yummy "open face" pie. My crust is a little imperfect but hey! It tasted amazing and it is Indian food which I love. Well, not exactly. I mean I am sure that Robin Robertson did not go to India to get this recipe but she did improvise on a snack favourite.

This recipe bucked tradition by cooking the vegetables in the oil beforethe spices. Indian traditional cooking requires you to cook the spices first then add the other stuff.


I used all the Double Pie Crust recipe. I don't know how I could have made the crust for the samosa pie without using all of the Double Pie Crust recipe which was supposed to make two separate crusts. Oh well, more to enjoy!


My little slice of samosa pie. Sorry about the yellow appearance. I needed to adjust some feature on my camera but you get the general idea.