I Dream of Greenie "Because vegetables are the new black"

“Quesadilla” from Gracias Madre in San Francisco

When I became vegan, while I generally had the support of my family/friends, some expressed disbelief over how I would possibly be able to enjoy food again.

I even got questions and comments such as:

• When you go on vacation this weekend, are you going to take a break from veganism so that you can fully enjoy the food?
• Bess, but you love ice cream!
• A life without cheese sounds miserable!

The truth of the matter is, I have grown a whole new appreciation of food. I had always known I was more of a “foodie” than a “fuelie” (save for the couple years when I was a bag of bones) but I never really understood the depths of my palate. I basically gravitated to the same flavors and gave no thought to how my food choices would affect my health and energy stores. I now know there’s a reason why I would be cranky, tired and hungry just an hour after powerhousing a muffin the size of my head and a vanilla latte for breakfast. Sorry to anybody who had to bear the receiving end of tirades induced by my food related mood swings.

The main foods that I can’t believe I neglected and now love upon adapting a vegan diet include:

• Spice…I always avoided spicy food like the plague and while I am still at the middle of the spicy spectrum, I love me a good chipotle ranch dressing (I would bathe in Veggie Grill’s version) and have finally ratcheted up my spice level on Thai/Indian dishes from very mild to medium!
• Cheez..yes I know it might sound weird for a vegan to speak positively of cheese, but due to severe lactose intolerance, I was never a big cheese eater.  But that’s before I learned about such delicacies as Daiya and Teeze which has allowed me to create easy and delicious recipes like white pizza and “Daiyadillas” are a weekday staple in my life these days.
• Parsnips & Brussels Sprouts…I always avoided these 2 veggies like the plague now they are two of my all time favorite vegetables. Try roasting halved brussels sprouts and sliced parsnips with olive oil, salt, orange zest, fresh sage leaves and sprigs of thyme.  Or roast very thinly slivered brussels spouts and hazelnuts with a little walnut oil and then top the final product with dried cranberries. Also parsnips make for a very luscious and flavorful mash, especially in the winter months.
• Cauliflower… Right up there with parsnips and b’ sprouts as a favorite veggie. Delicious when roasted (they take on a caramel-y sweetness), cauliflower is also delicious mashed, curried or made into a gratin topped with cheez.
• Nut Butter…I know this must sound weird but as a kid, I was never really a peanut butter sandwich fan. Give me cold pizza in my lunch any day over the childhood classic PB & J. I recently told my older sister that it took me about 28 years to figure out why her favorite food is peanut butter but I am happy to have seen the light. It’s a convenient vegan food (I love to travel with individual packets of Justin’s nut butter) and incredibly delicious…and let’s just say you can hear from down the block the moans that induce when I pair PB with dark chocolate.
• Mangoes…For the longest time I thought I was allergic to mangoes, but after recently trying them on multiple occasions, I am happy to report it must have been bad chicken that made me sick that night. Fresh mango fruit pops have been life changing and dried mangoes make a perfect snack for a grueling hike.
• Guacamole/Avocado…I was a late bloomer when it came to jumping onto the avocado bandwagon but now I will eat it on everything from toasted cranberry walnut bread (don’t knock it till you try it), salads, tacos, veggie burgers, wraps and on top of hot and cold soups.
• Chocolate…dark chocolate is so much richer and satisfying than the preservative laden milk chocolate I used to gorge myself on as a kid.

To see pictures of some of the specific grocery store products I like and find out where to buy them, check out this awesome page on Cookin Vegan.

Vegans and non-vegans alike, what are some of your favorite every day vegan foods as well as alternatives to meat and dairy products?