Some of you know that I’m about halfway through my weeklong experiment of eating nothing but plant foods (and fungi). As an ethical vegetarian, I’ve sadly come to the conclusion that eating dairy isn’t morally consistent for me, and while I’m not ready to forswear it for life, I’m interested in seeing what life is like without it. Baby steps.
So far, vegan week has been pretty easy. It helps that I’m mildly lactose intolerant and dairy has always been more of a food flavoring than staple. The only times I’ve even really seen it as a dietary restriction has been with company, and only then with desserts. (I had to turn down bananas foster. Ouch.)
What have I been eating?
- Thick vegetable & kidney bean chili over crisp potato wedges
- Miso noodle soup with wild mushrooms, green onions, bok choy, and edamame
- Spicy pan fried noodles with basil
- Coconut peanut sauce dip with roti
- Bell pepper, new potato, and roast garlic pasta
- Farina with sliced white peaches, brown sugar, and almond milk
- Avocado and almond milk smoothies
- Stovetop popcorn with olive oil, sea salt, nutritional yeast, and a dash of garlic
- PB&J sandwiches
Last night I tried making pudding with almond milk, and I liked it so much that I thought I’d share. I was worried that it wouldn’t set well, but it totally did. And when warmed, almond milk has a marvelously fragrant aroma that makes it perfect in desserts and sweets. (Muffins? Hmm…) Anyway, this is the recipe for a creamy, mild pudding that could well pass for being dairy based:
Vegan Almond Pudding (2 small servings, can be doubled)
- 1 cup vanilla almond milk, separated
- 1 1/2 TB white sugar (more if you’re not using sweetened almond milk)
- pinch of salt
- 1 1/2 TB cornstarch
- 1/2 tsp rosewater OR vanilla OR almond extract
- cinnamon and/or slivered almonds to top
Pour 3/4 cup almond milk into heavy bottomed saucepan. Sprinke sugar and salt over liquid but do not stir. Bring to a boil over medium high. While waiting for milk to boil, mix remaining 1/4 cup almond milk with the cornstarch until fully dissolved. When milk has come to a boil, remove from heat, whisk in cold milk/cornstarch mixture, and return to heat (turn down to low). Stir constantly for 1-2 minutes, or until thickened. Stir in flavoring. Pour into bowls, allow to cool, and refrigerate until set. Top with a sprinkle of cinnamon and slivered almonds.
Posted by An Allergy Free Mess | quiltpaintcreate on 12/09/2011 at 19:01
[...] I looked for a recipe online to make it from scratch. I found this recipe that I’ll try this weekend. It’s bound to be a step up from the last attempt. [...]
Posted by Stash Report January 8, 2012 | quiltpaintcreate on 01/08/2012 at 10:28
[...] finally tried this recipe for pudding and I’m happy to report it set up just fine. I’ll need to tweak it to suit my own [...]
Posted by Jameil on 01/23/2012 at 19:17
This was simple and delicious! Thanks!
Posted by Jennifer on 01/24/2012 at 12:52
Glad it worked for you!
Posted by folkhavenkaren on 01/26/2012 at 15:54
I’ll be trying this soon. I like that it seems simple. Thanks for sharing it.
Posted by Jennifer on 01/26/2012 at 21:17
It is simple — corn starch puddings are a lot less temperamental than egg-thickened ones! Feel free to play around with the sugar (I don’t like things very sweet) or to add spices or flavorings. I’d love to know how it turns out for you!
Posted by YoungBird on 02/12/2012 at 17:28
dude if you eat PBnJ thats not a vegan thing, unless you use vegan bread,… bread is made with eggs
Posted by Jennifer on 02/13/2012 at 08:56
Most breads are actually made without eggs, although if you’re avoiding all animal products, you may want to watch out for milk powder and honey in bread. But many breads contain no animal ingredients, and if you make your own (I do), you can have absolutely certainty over what goes into it. At its most basic, bread, is just flour, yeast, and water.
Posted by Sarah on 04/27/2012 at 22:13
BTW, home-made Almond Milk is one of the easiest & most delicious (green!) things to make. No chemicals, preservatives, hormones, disposable containers…
All you need is a good blender (Vitamix is the bomb) & a nut milk bag (or cheesecloth or any fine stainer).
Soak 1 cup of almonds overnight (minimum of 8 hours, 12 better). Toss the soaking water, add 4 cups of fresh water and blend for a minute You can add a spoonful of honey or agave and a few drops of vanilla if desired. Use only 3 cups of water if you like your milk thicker. Strain & chill. SOOOO good, so easy.