Take it easy, I understand it's a tough start...

As I've always mentioned most of you are same with me, raised and grew up as an omnivore. Here's the photo of what's currently inside my ref. as you can see it looks like a pile of processed meats. Now I'm hearing questions like: Where can I buy those stuff? What if I'm so damn lazy to research or doesn't even have talent to cook? Let me go through your questions one by one and explain where i bought the stuff your seeing in here.

1. Polomi Vegetarian Grocery - It's located in Manila on the corner of San Marcelino and Quirino. Land mark is a Chinese signage that has the word polomi below it, It looks like a humble simple closed store so you may not get to see it right away. It's the best place to buy all vegetarian/ vegan processed meat. You just need to check the ingredients carefully If you prefer the eggless and lactose free options. The photos of veg. meat here are all vegan such as the following: Vegan Burger patties, Vegan smoked sliced ham, vegan chicken nuggets, vegan sausages, vegan crab chunks,

2. Soy Milk? - I love chocolate soy milk and best place I can buy many type of soy milk branded: Silk, Soy dream, Good hope. Is either at South Super Market Ayala Alabang or any Healthy Options Store in some malls, the best Healthy Options at Shangrila Mall Ortigas. Whenever I see soymilk in my ref i think of the following: Breakfast cereal milk, milk to use for macarani soup, vegan carbonara pasta milk replacer. ice blended milk shakes, tiramisu and vegan cake milk replacer. you can add hersheys choco syrup if you want your soy milk/shake be more chocolatier.

3. Is it Healthy? Please highlight that vegan processed meat is not considered healthy. It's basically just an alternative to cope up with psychological cravings, transitioning to a new diet can be depressing and confusing for some that's why having some meat alternative is better because it transition us to appreciate a meal without animal meat in it. To make your meal healthier you can cook vege meat e.g. vegan nuggets and on the side you have vegan kimchi and steamed brocolli/spinach/lettuce/veggies. Including Raw foods with your cooked vegan meat is better to balance the nutrition intake.

4. Which Vitamins to take? vitamin B and Iron is the usual food that lacks in vegetables and without that vitamin which affects our blood and mood we can get sick too, so you can eat seaweeds and fortified food/vitamins if you feel like your getting weak by just veggies it self yet those who practive daily exercise and healthy environment usually don't need much of this vitamins. Miso paste/soup is a great vegan source for amino acids due to the good active bacteria that's rich in  omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acid , riboflamin and vit.K.

5. What recipe's can you make with the photos above?
     1. vegan nuggets with steamed veggies on the side, with vegan mayo with sweet pickle relish sauce.
     2. Palabok with vegan crab meats and vegan chicharon.
     3. Meaty spaghetti with vegan ham and hotdogs.
     4. vegan burger with vegan mayo sauce with pickles, lettuce, tomatoes/bell pepper.
     5. vegan burger steak with carrot,peas, and soy gravy
     6. vegan macaroni salad with sliced hams and other veggies
     7. Macaroni soup with soymilk, hotdogs and veggies
     8. Vegan Pasta gourmet: Arrabiata, pomodoro, Carbonara vegan version.
     9. Vegan pizza slice: put cheese alternative=mixed vegan mayo with nutritioal yeast, veggies, pineapple bits and vege meat on top of bread and toast / bake it.
    10. Vegan Tiramisu - heat vegan dark chocolates on top of it, crumpy vegan choco spread and mixed with chocolate soy.
     
4. What if I'm lazy and don't want to cook? It's easier this days to do it you can let anyone just type the word vegan recipe in google and let anyone with basic common sense follow the instructions on how to do it, anybody can cook or experiment a good vegan meal. Here's one good link - http://www.veganeasy.org/recipes
You can also ask me for basic advice or check my previous post.

* Always remember to intake some raw fruit veggie foods/drink to have a better nutrition intake. Be Happy and think positive when you eat veggies . ^_^

Vegan PALABOK

Pinoy's favorite, that's why I'm adding this to my list.

INGREDIENTS:

Noodle:2 packets of Excellent rice bihon (Excellent is the brand name!)

Sauce:
oil
julienned green beans
julienned carrots
water
corn starch
achuete or anatto powder (natural food coloring)
vegetarian broth / soysauce ( best to use Braggs soy sauce)
Iodized salt

Toppings:
scallions (for garnish, it's optional if your on a NOGM diet you may just put celery instead,(NOGM- No Onion,Garlic, Mushroom))
pounded vegetarian chicharon (Best to use Martys or vegan bacon chips)
fried yuba/tofu skin or fried tofu (seasoned with salt)
lemons (for garnish, or squeeze it in when served to add a little zest)

1. Sautee the green beans and carrots
2. Follow with the yuba/tofu and season with soy sauce

SEPARATE POT

3. Boil about 4-6 cups of water
4. Put 2-3 tablespoon of powdered vegetarian broth or any applicable vegan seasoning (sold in Palomi store)
5. Put 1 teaspoon of anatto powder
6. Pour the cornstarch mixture (mix 1-2 tablespoon of corn starch and 1 cup of water BEFORE pouring it in to the pot, make sure to thoroughly dissolve the starch)
7. Keep mixing the pot until soup turns thick
8. Pour the vegetables to the pot, keep mixing and wait to boil

FOR THE NOODLES:

9. Boil 6-8 cups of water
10. Blanch the noodles
11. Remove and drain

*the noodles will turn soft very quickly

FINAL PREP:

12. Pour the noodles to a serving tray/bowl
13. Pour SOME of the soup, mix them together until all noodles have SOME sauce (nice trick to evenly distribute the flavor)
14. When ready to serve, pour the rest of the sauce on top of the noodles
15. Add the toppings: fried tofu or yuba,vegetarian chicharon and scallions
16. add lemons on the side

VEGAN MACARONI SALAD

This Vegan Macaroni salad is good for parties and also very recommended for those who's schedules are filled up making them busy workers that needs to just grab some fresh healthy food in the refrigerator, good for tired guys who don't want to exhaust energy cooking and just sooth their hungry stomachs.

Ingredients:

THESE INGREDIENTS ARE EASY TO FIND IN THE PHILIPPINE SUPERMARKET

mostly at Ayala South Supermarket, Landmark, SM, Rustan.

VEGGIE MEAT is best bought in Palomi Vegetarian store at between Quirino Ave and San Marcellino St, Manila.

* macaroni salad pasta 1 kg ( it's good to use Del monte, cause it does not easily get's soggy and sticky)

* Vegan mayonaise ( it's best to use Praise 97% Fat Free mayonaise cause you can easilly purchase it in nearby supermarkets or you can also go to Palomi to buy.)

* Veggie Ham ( 8 slices from the sandwich smoked pack)

* Pineapple tid bits 1 can

* Green Bell Pepper

* 1 Large carrot

* 2 tablespoon of salt or measure it's level by adding little portions

* Honey mustard, vegan bacon bits (optional)

* white pepper (powder)

Materials: cheese grater, knife, chopping board, large pot, tablespoon, large tupperware.

Bring water to a boil in a large pot. Add macaroni noodles and cook for 7 minutes, or until tender. Drain and rinse a couple of times with cold water. Chop up the bell pepper to tiny bits and grate the carrots, slice the ham to tiny triangles, and put in a large bowl. Add pineapple tidbits, macaroni pasta, vegenaise, honey mustard (make sure honey mustard has lesser amount than vegenaise,salt and little sprinkle of white pepper. Mix together and let it chill for a couple of hours.

EASY AS THAT AYT!!!!

Inspiration

Hi there my name Amiya, I made this blog to help those who wants to transition themselves to vegan diet, those who just want to be in a healthier diet, those who wants to actively help animals, those who have their realization intertwined with this practice, those who just wanna feel sexier, those who are easily bloated and the list goes on.. Transitioning to a New diet is not an easy thing to do, I saw people who tried to get into the diet because it gives them an appealing start to be more caring to our planet but even how hard they tried there are lot's of things pulling them out of the practice. I've been there, I was not born vegan and I'm a food enthusiast, I used to spread loads of animal fats around my lips and also had my nape aching after eating like a scavenger in a party when I was a kid and enjoyed all because of my psychological setting that everybody loves it why cant I?

I was born close to animals because my Dad loves dogs and we used to have many fighter roosters, and that made me question so many things including why I'm eating animals such as pig,fish,beef,chicken and some sea animals. I can even remember the first time I ever saw a live pig a big one at the farm, It stinks but I still find it cute that's why I gave him/her any leaf I can grab and it just chews on it, then the next day I saw a vehicle carrying it inside a cage. I asked my mom where are they taking the pig? my mom said of course they'll take it to the market it's life is meant to be our meat. I didn't answered back I am still questioning yet I know I felt sad, It was alive just like last night and I was feeding it and as a child I find it uneasy to just realize how somebody just alive and moving with blood and feelings just easily die all because of humans rationality.

I grew up with animals close to me, we always have a dog and I also remember how I had my affection towards chickens that's when I always pick a favorite rooster from my Dad's fighters, I always pick the yellow or white because they are less wilder, and I'll be in charge of feeding my fave and I also feel sad each time my rooster dies from a fight and again I kept on questioning that was like me as a nine year old kid, there are so many animal encounter stories I had from a wounded bird to a lost kitten from up to last year but I know I don't need to write it one by one, that's just me expressing how I felt like this is my calling to stop enjoying munching on animal flesh.

That was year 2004 when I met my friend Sid who is the first vegan and active member of PETA I've encountered, I ridiculed his diet just for fun not until he shared me some PETA Anti Animal cruelty videos and vegan rock bands Cd's, In the video we watched at our friends place I saw how the cows,pigs and chickens was murdered It made me feel mildly traumatized and stopped eating meat for some time, but I only knew few recipe it's usually congie and tofu that I eat which makes me feel sick so I shifted to a lesser cruelty (knowing that fish and chickens are not mammals having consciousness far from humans) It's really hard to be in the transition stage you just cant help not to crave for meat specially me who used to really love eating them and yes I knew I gotta seek for me to find, and I have to kill my mind set but to kill it slowly just like withdrawing oneself from vices, so I was eating less meat until there came a time that my used to be mindset died just like surviving from a cancer psych. my taste buds also changed, I never knew that our mind's system is connected with everything else and affects how we perceive things. Many life scenarios happened I met a lot of vegetarian friends, some are artists and some are from a Yoga Organization. I'm thankful for all God's grace in connecting me to all those people who truly inspired me with this. To even make sure that I'm fully committed and whole hearted with my chosen diet I even tried eating my used to be fave meat dish and VOILA it was totally YUCKY I can feel the animals fats,oils and I'm feeling so guilty with the taste of blood I was totally changed I was a new born! It was like something needs to die in me so that this new me will arise. It takes discipline, and the first approach is to KNOW not to FEAR... cause when we start getting pale, skinny and weak we instantly blame the vegan diet not knowing that it was not the diet but the transition stage that makes us feel sick, it was a challenge of knowing how to get by with the transition, how to balance one's diet, making efficient research of which veggies should come in combo to cope up with all the nutrients our body needs.

So.. Bottom line I would like to share and help those who wants to be a vegetarian, I know they all have personal reasons why they find it hard, try to list all the reason down, experiment on it check if there's an alternative with it. In this blog I'll start writing recipe's which are easy to do and are tasty specially for the beginners.

ALRIGHT! BRING IT ON!

LET'S GO VEGAN!!!!

Some video's to check:

CLICK ON THIS EARTHLING!

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