Hello. I'm vegan. Ask Me Anything.
Why am I making this? Because since our government has decided it's going to shit the bed regarding climate change, it has made it clear that it is up to we, the people to do everything in our power to help our mother Earth.
We need to recycle more.
We need to invest in longer lasting purchases, stay away from disposables.
We need to use less water.
We need to be more conscious about how we get around.
And regarding this subject, we need to eat less meat.
I'm not asking anyone here to go full vegan (though it's not bad if you do!) And I'm not going to be calling anyone MURDERERSSSSS because I'm not that kind of vegan.
In fact, you might notice after my 10,000 posts here on DU, I have never been preachy about it.
But after yesterday's decision by limpshart mcfuckhead, I decided, maybe I should try.
I won't be preachy. So if you ask, I'll do my best to answer. I'm not the authority on veganism but I am a practicing member.
But as a base, I'll link something as a means to show what veganism has to do with climate change.
http://www.nbcnews.com/better/diet-fitness/vegan-eating-would-slash-cut-food-s-global-warming-emissions-n542886
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-greenhouse-hamburger/
So, if you're curious about the exciting world of veganism, ask away!
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And have been a little hesitant to try myself ...glad to read I can do something tasty pretty easy once the seeds are gone then I guess it's easy . It has been priced low lately so now is a good time to try .
Kids think they're getting a fruity treat (and they are) but you can sneak all kinds of veggies in there. Leafy greens, cauliflower, sweet potato, squash, it's endless.
Also you can puree veggies and stir them into mac and cheese. (And I won't even scare you with my recipe for "cheese" made out of potato, carrot, onion, and nutritional yeast. 
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LOL! 
I like to make a big pot of pinto beans and then I have easy meals for days. I soak them for days, so it's a process, but well worth it. I like almost all beans, but lentils are gross. I don't know why I don't like them, but I don't.
I'm not vegan, but I've been a vegetarian for almost 20 years. I understand the reasons to stop dairy. My son is vegan and explained it to me. I bad. 
I am aware of the pollution load of growing livestock and processing and transporting such foods.
I do eat a lot less meat than I used to, especially beef. I'm not religious or preachy about many things. I don't necessarily do it as a "green" tactic, but we all do what we can.
Less is more! Any contribution helps. 
Most of the recipes were transferred over with cut-n-paste from the old DU, but you can still scroll through & check them out. Another fave veg recipe site is VegWeb. http://vegweb.com/recipes
Love that your grown kids are veg!!
I've been a vegetarian for over 30 years. When I first went veg they didn't even have garden burgers & soy milk was so putrid I couldn't drink it. They had tofu & tempeh, but we didn't have the internet, so learning how to cook these things wasn't easy if you didn't know other vegetarians. I had several dishes that I threw out because they were so bad or so bland! I was used to using meat or chicken/beef broth for flavor. It took me a few years to re-learn how to cook. Lots of burritos during that time! I remember when garden burgers first came out - I was on cloud nine! I could finally go to a BBQ & eat like everyone else.
Funny, now I hardly eat meat analogs at all. I like to make open faced Tofurky sandwiches with mashed potatoes & gravy once every 6 months & I do like an occasional Gardien meatball on my pasta, but for the most part I eat baked tofu as my main source of protein.
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My notes on tofu, for the record.
1. There is a myth that you can marinade tofu & it will absorb the flavor of the marinade. Not true! Tofu is so full of water that it absorbs nothing. If you want tofu to taste like something, a better way to prepare tofu is to bake it.
2. Freezing tofu changes the texture. Some people put the entire package of tofu in the freezer. Others drain it & freeze it on it's own. I've found that either method changes the texture of the tofu. I think it's really gross - like a sponge. But some people don't mind & it is an easy way to keep it for a long period of time.
3. A lot of articles say to take the tofu out of it's original container, put in in a plastic bowl, cover it with water & then, change the water daily until you use it. 
The store doesn't do that! Why should you? I've never done this & I've bought tofu that had a date 2-3 weeks out & I've used it almost at the end of the date & it's been just fine.
4. I pay about $1.70 for a pound of tofu.
Baked Tofu Sticks
preheat oven to 350º
1 tub of tofu – it really doesn’t matter if it’s firm or soft
1/3 cup of some kind of seasoning sauce - soy sauce, Bragg’s Liquid Amino’s, BBQ sauce, I've even used pesto.
1. Drain the tofu – no need to press the water out.
2. Slice the block into six slices & place on a baking sheet.
3. Bake at 350º for 30 minutes.
4. Pull out of oven & brush the sticks with seasoning sauce & put back in the oven for 10 minutes.
5. Every 10 minutes, pull the sticks out & brush again & bake until the tofu is the consistency you like. When it's cooled & chilled, it will be slightly firmer than when it's right out of the oven.
6. Cool tofu slices before placing in container. These will keep for a week in the fridge.
I cut these in cubes & add to salads, pasta or rice dishes, miso soup. We live on these things.
You can also crumble the tofu instead of slicing it. Spread it evenly over the baking dish & bake for 30 minutes. After you add the seasoning sauce, stir the tofu around before putting back in the oven. When I make tofu this way, I have to put it in the fridge when it's done, or my husband & I will snack on it until it's gone.
Remember if the tofu is too soft for your taste, bake it some more. You can turn tofu into jerky if you want.
I bought this
and can get over a half cup of liquid out of the tofu before I season it
If you want to try to reduce the cooking time of baked tofu try this trick. I use it when I don't mind a little extra oil and it makes some really good baked tofu.
I use to use free weights to press tofu. Then I decided it was easier to bake it longer or hotter. For many years there was a Mexican restaurant in town that served tofu tacos. I don't know what they used to season their tofu, but it was fab. 
If not, have you ever eaten meat? If you have eaten meat, what was your favorite? Was it yummy?
I've noticed more products are using pea protein now.
I only ask because I've seen a lot debates among vegans over eating honey. Although, it seems like the ones who do are in the minority. I don't personally know any vegans (or at least don't know I do), so I don't know how those online discussions translate to the real world... Obviously, I am assuming you all meet up every weekend at some secret lodge to discuss your plans for global domination. 
We have a vegan restaurant that does an outstanding fried chicken leg. They use pieces of sugar cane for the bone. They also wrap the seitan in yuba first so you get a crispy "skin" as well. They are so delicious. I mean, they're still deep fried, so they're not exactly healthy, but they taste fantastic.
