I tried something new today: Tofu Italian Sausage

Xevious

Xevious

CAGiversary!
I microwaved it and damn...it tastes pretty close to the real thing. Its not 100% there but its pretty damn close.

Instead of meat though, its made out of Tofu (bean curd). Its kinda trippy when I think about it.
 
Try some of the Morningstar Farms breakfast meats. You can get them at any grocery store, and that shit tastes great, not exactly like meat, but great all the same. Much healthier, too.
 
[quote name='dratsacras']Why would you bother, when there's a perfectly real meat that you could be eating instead?[/quote]

I understand where you are coming from. I didn't want to be "Californiazed" when I moved here but eventually I started trying new things.

Also I am looking for ways to drop the weight (I lost 15 pounds so far). It might mean that I have to eat more tofu in the future.
 
My veggie friends eat these Chikin nugguts all the time. And I try them every now and then, and I couldn't believe how good they tasted.... I ended up finally reading the package and realized they were made with eggs :lol:
 
Welcome to my world, tons of soy and tofu. Some types of meat can't be faked but ANY type of sausage can easily be imitated. It takes a lot of strength to drive by a steak place or a burger place and eat an alternative that is healthy. For that, I commend you.
 
[quote name='valor19']Welcome to my world, tons of soy and tofu. Some types of meat can't be faked but ANY type of sausage can easily be imitated. It takes a lot of strength to drive by a steak place or a burger place and eat an alternative that is healthy. For that, I commend you.[/quote]

Dont get me wrong. I am still very much a carnivore. But because I have to look for ways to lose weight, I am trying out new things.
 
I don't really like tofu much, though I use it when making miso soup. I don't eat most meat (I do eat a few kinds of seafood, primarily shrimp), but I don't really eat vegetarian food (fake burgers etc.) very often either. Though passing by burger chains has never been a problem, I never really at much "american" food, burgers, hot dogs, sausage etc. I just don't like them very much. The main food in my diet has always been pasta. Though it's strange, even if I did want a vegetarian sauasage, pig meat disgusts me and eating something that is imitating it, real or not, still disgusts me. Though I will eat veggie burgers and fake chicken on occasion. I also only buy free run eggs, though I don't ask what kind of eggs they are when someone else makes them.
 
I do this kind of thing whenever I can. I eat meat all of the time, but I don't like the thought of eating it for every meal. I try to cut meat out of at least two or three meals a week.
 
[quote name='snotknocker']ain't nothing better then a belly full of beef[/quote]

thats so true. and when the alternatives generally cost more than the "regulars"; atleast around me, i am going to eat the "regular".
 
Is it just me or does tofu get a bad rap in America? I think most Asians or people who know anything about Asian cuisine like (or don't hate) tofu. I personally love tofu, even though I'm not vegetarian (I don't think I could live without red meat and chicken). I just don't get how people can act like it's the worst thing ever. They must not know how to prepare it.

I think there are excellent tofu-based substitute foods out there too. I had these tofu ice cream sandwich things from Trader Joes that were good, and my friend had a tofu dish at a Thai restaurant where it was made to feel and taste like chicken (they said it was delicious and they couldn't tell it was tofu).
 
[quote name='judyjudyjudy']Is it just me or does tofu get a bad rap in America? I think most Asians or people who know anything about Asian cuisine like (or don't hate) tofu. I personally love tofu, even though I'm not vegetarian (I don't think I could live without red meat and chicken). I just don't get how people can act like it's the worst thing ever. They must not know how to prepare it.

I think there are excellent tofu-based substitute foods out there too. I had these tofu ice cream sandwich things from Trader Joes that were good, and my friend had a tofu dish at a Thai restaurant where it was made to feel and taste like chicken (they said it was delicious and they couldn't tell it was tofu).[/quote]

It doesn't get a bad rap, its just terrible. The cultures that have matured with tofu as a staple of their diet grow used to the horrendous taste, and therefore do not realize how disgusting the material they are eating truly is. I've had some tofu products that taste "something kind of like" what the true thing is.. but you can still taste the tofu, and its still disturbing.

Some cultures eat brains, some eat pickled bird fetuses, some eat tofu... doesn't mean I want to eat any of the above. (and yes, I rank tofu along with pickled bird fetuses, atleast they're meat)
 
[quote name='Cornfedwb']

It doesn't get a bad rap, its just terrible. The cultures that have matured with tofu as a staple of their diet grow used to the horrendous taste, and therefore do not realize how disgusting the material they are eating truly is. I've had some tofu products that taste "something kind of like" what the true thing is.. but you can still taste the tofu, and its still disturbing.
[/quote]

See, I don't get that. I know I'm biased, but a lot of times tofu hardly tastes like anything. The worst thing I would say about tofu is that it's bland, but again, that's why you have to know how to prepare it. To say it tastes horrendous and terrible seems a bit much to me, but I'm one of those people that have grown up with the stuff. But hey, to each their own.
 
It doesn't get a bad rap, its just terrible. The cultures that have matured with tofu as a staple of their diet grow used to the horrendous taste, and therefore do not realize how disgusting the material they are eating truly is. I've had some tofu products that taste "something kind of like" what the true thing is.. but you can still taste the tofu, and its still disturbing.

Some cultures eat brains, some eat pickled bird fetuses, some eat tofu... doesn't mean I want to eat any of the above. (and yes, I rank tofu along with pickled bird fetuses, atleast they're meat)
Click to expand...

I'm sure many people would say the same thing about cheese, sardines etc. Though our culture eats cow brains, they often sell them in grocery stores in vermont (a land devoid of other cultures).

edit: forgot liver and hot dogs
 
[quote name='Cornfedwb']It doesn't get a bad rap, its just terrible. The cultures that have matured with tofu as a staple of their diet grow used to the horrendous taste, and therefore do not realize how disgusting the material they are eating truly is. I've had some tofu products that taste "something kind of like" what the true thing is.. but you can still taste the tofu, and its still disturbing.[/quote]

Wait until you try Chinese stinkin' tofu.

Or maybe you already did. :lol:
 
[quote name='judyjudyjudy']
I think there are excellent tofu-based substitute foods out there too. I had these tofu ice cream sandwich things from Trader Joes that were good, and my friend had a tofu dish at a Thai restaurant where it was made to feel and taste like chicken (they said it was delicious and they couldn't tell it was tofu).[/quote]

Its funny how you mentioned Trader Joes because thats where I bought the Tofu Italian Sausage.

I never tried Tofu Ice Cream though. Thats sounds a little too left of center for me. Maybe one day when I am feeling adventureous, I'll give it a shot.
 
I was vegetarian up until recently, when I realized how much it was killing my energy levels. I was taking multi-vitamins and getting plenty of protein through other means, but I just couldn't seem to get all of the nutrition I needed. So I went back to eating meat on a sort of trial basis and I feel a whole lot better... but I don't look forward to gaining back some of that weight I lost.
 
For those offended that someone would try tofu Italian sausage, please realize that the real stuff isn't even good meat. Wonder why there are so many spices in there? "A belly full of beef," my ass!

Definitely some substitutes are really good, including Morningstar fajita burgers. Good taste to those. That being said, when you do eat meat, if you are looking to lose weight, pick lean varieties. Don't just grab the high fat ground round. Go for a much better, leaner cut.

Also remember, for weight control purposes, you shouldn't eat much more than 3-4 oz. of meat (a quarter pound, about the size of a deck of cards).

Cheers and good luck!

Sean-O
 
[quote name='AHEADAMUS']
Definitely some substitutes are really good, including Morningstar fajita burgers. Good taste to those.
[/quote]

Yeah, I'm glad I became vegetarian for a while because it opened me up to a lot of different kinds of food. The "mexican" veggie style burgers are like eating a taco in a cheeseburger. I also discovered Thai, fell further in love with Indian, and tried some local vegetarian restaurants. A lot of variety was added to my diet.
 
[quote name='Cornfedwb']
I've had some tofu products that taste "something kind of like" what the true thing is.. but you can still taste the tofu, and its still disturbing.[/quote]
For some of us, that's perfect. If I could find a nonmeat substitute for steak or hamburgers which looked, smelled and tasted exactly like the real thing, I'd stay the hell away from it, because I don't want the real thing. I eat tofu, but I generally avoid the fake meat products because I've lost the taste for what they're attempting to copy. I have had the fake Italian sausage mentioned in the OP. It's a little too realistic for me, but it's pretty good mixed into pasta.
 
I've had the veggie italian sauasge, too, and I thought it was pretty great.

Trader Joes makes some mean chicken-less nuggets, too, that are pretty inexpensive and easy to make. Oh yeah, they taste good too.

And unlike A7las I found that my energy level dramatically improved when I became a vegetarian. And I too lost a lot of weight, maybe forty pounds?

And I also recommend Morningstar farms, but have to warn people away from Yves brand stuff. It tastes like ass, IMHO.
 
[quote name='poormojo']
And unlike A7las I found that my energy level dramatically improved when I became a vegetarian.[/quote]

It seems very YMMV. :lol:
 
I like to try a lot of the imitation products (when they go on sale, of course), although I can't have most of the imitation chicken products, because, as stated, almost all of them have egg (I'm a vegan, except I will eat products made with honey). I recently tried some of the Tofurkey Keilbasa, and it was pretty good. I also picked up some "Pete's Tofu To Go" varieties, and they were pretty good for the sale price, but I wouldn't get them often at full price. I've been vegetarian for about 16 years, and I have not lost the taste for meat, although most substitutes aren't really all that close (a select few of them are better, many are worse, some are just different).

I don't fully understand why so many people give tofu a bad rap. Most people I know who do seem to have only tried it one way, disliked it (not sure what they were expecting it to be like), and decided that all tofu is disugsting. Or maybe they have just been so poisoned against vegetarians by society that anything that reminds them of vegetarianism is worthy of their ridicule. Tofu can be prepared in dozens or even hundreds of different ways, and I don't just mean different sauces. Of course, if someone doesn't want to give it a fair shot, it is that person's choice.

As far as the non-dairy icecreams are concerned, Tofutti has the best flavor, but limited variety, Rice Dream has a fair amount of variety, but is less creamy, and the mint carob chip has been tasting somewhat medicinal lately. I don't recall what Soy Delicious is like, but it obviously didn't sway me from Tofutti. Tofutti also makes some amazing imitation cream cheese ("Better Than Cream Cheese") and imitation sour cream ("Sour Supreme"). Silk is my favorite of the non-dairy milks, I like chocolate, vanilla (mostly for cereal), chai (occassionally), and Silk Nog (seasonally).

I use a lot of TVP and tofu in cooking. TVP is a lot more meat-like than tofu and is an excellent replacement for ground beef. I've recently bought nutritional yeast to use as a topping for spaghetti sauce and such, and it is good, but takes some getting used to (requires an open mind).

I'm glad to see there are some people open to non-carnivorous foods/lifestyles here. Does anybody juice? If you find yourself wanting to post a vulgar joke about juicing, examine the joke after typing it -- if it is actually funny, go ahead and post it.
 
[quote name='guessed']I'm glad to see there are some people open to non-carnivorous foods/lifestyles here. Does anybody juice? If you find yourself wanting to post a vulgar joke about juicing, examine the joke after typing it -- if it is actually funny, go ahead and post it.[/quote]So I take it you drink your own juice?

Just kidding. It's good to see another vegan on here. You also must be relatively old, or you went vegetarian pretty young. I've been a vegetarian since I was ten (19 years ago. I'm old.) and a vegan since twenty. By now I've forgotten what a lot of things tasted like and other things I never took the opportunity to try, like lobster.

Ice cream recommendations:

Soy Delicious has a line called Purely Decadent and they're all fantastic. Easily some of the best ice creams I've had. Also, a local company in Chicago somewhat recently started making a superb vegan chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream, although it's probably not available in your area. Stores in my city finally started carrying it. :)
 
[quote name='cheapass Gundam']

Wait until you try Chinese stinkin' tofu.

Or maybe you already did. :lol:[/quote]

Dude, that stuff is GOOD! I always get it in Taiwan :)
 
[quote name='Xevious']
I never tried Tofu Ice Cream though. Thats sounds a little too left of center for me. Maybe one day when I am feeling adventureous, I'll give it a shot.[/quote]

It's not tofu-flavored ice cream (I don't think I would try that either)... it's a nondairy substitute for ice cream. It's the brand that guessed mentioned, Tofutti. The ice cream sandwiches are called "Cuties".

http://www.tofutti.com/cuties.0.html
 
[quote name='govegan'][quote name='guessed']I'm glad to see there are some people open to non-carnivorous foods/lifestyles here. Does anybody juice? If you find yourself wanting to post a vulgar joke about juicing, examine the joke after typing it -- if it is actually funny, go ahead and post it.[/quote]So I take it you drink your own juice?

Just kidding. It's good to see another vegan on here. You also must be relatively old, or you went vegetarian pretty young. I've been a vegetarian since I was ten (19 years ago. I'm old.) and a vegan since twenty. By now I've forgotten what a lot of things tasted like and other things I never took the opportunity to try, like lobster.

Ice cream recommendations:

Soy Delicious has a line called Purely Decadent and they're all fantastic. Easily some of the best ice creams I've had. Also, a local company in Chicago somewhat recently started making a superb vegan chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream, although it's probably not available in your area. Stores in my city finally started carrying it. :)[/quote]

Vegetarian at 17, Vegan at 24 or 25, now 33. What are your feelings about honey? I just found that too many products contain honey, and my diet is prohibitave enough as it is. Most reports I have heard claim that the bees are not poorly treated, but I really haven't done much research. I try to avoid animal products in everyday life as well, but I am about to buy a new mattress, and there is some silk in it, plus I am fairly certain that a few appointments on my car are leather (I would not buy a car with a leather package, but there isn't much one can do about the cover over the gearshift).

As far as juicing is concerned, I haven't done it yet, but I did just buy a juicer and 25lbs. of organic juicing carrots, so I am looking forward to trying it soon, probably this weekend. I need to get some good apples, too. Does anyone juice? I could use some pointers/recipes, but perhaps this is not the forum for it.
 
[quote name='guessed']
As far as juicing is concerned, I haven't done it yet, but I did just buy a juicer and 25lbs. of organic juicing carrots, so I am looking forward to trying it soon, probably this weekend. I need to get some good apples, too. Does anyone juice? I could use some pointers/recipes, but perhaps this is not the forum for it.[/quote]

My mom juices, but I'm not into that stuff. However, I do advise that you drink a good variety of things and not just drink carrot juice for long periods of time. My mom loved putting carrots in her juices, and she ended up turning orange :) Her friends thought she had some kind of liver disease.
 
I would definitely not rank tofu along with pickled bird fetuses because tofu is much more pervasive in many countries. It’s a staple food in most Asian cultures, rather like cheese. In fact, it’s very close to cheese because tofu is basically made from soy milk, hence the name bean curd. I ate much more tofu than cheese growing up.

Tofu comes in many difference forms (deep fried, etc.) and recipes: I don’t really like some of the American (European) adaptation like tofu steak or putting tofu in salad, but there are tons of traditional dishes many American people like, such as mapo-tofu or agedashi-dofu.
 
Double thumbs up for the "Cuties." They are the only non-dairy faux-ice cream I've had that I've liked.

Has nayone had any luck with vegan cheese? I've tried it several times, but the flavor is just too . . . pungent? for me.
 
Random question that I thought of but never asked. If your religion does not allow you to eat meat for whatever reason, is something like this also forbidden? (I am not a vegeterian, but am catholic.)
 
[quote name='judyjudyjudy'][quote name='cheapass Gundam']

Wait until you try Chinese stinkin' tofu.

Or maybe you already did. :lol:[/quote]

Dude, that stuff is GOOD! I always get it in Taiwan :)[/quote]

I loved it growing up, but it started giving me mouth sores (hmm, why does that sound soooo nasty?) whenever I eat it so I ended up quitting it.
 
[quote name='daria19']Random question that I thought of but never asked. If your religion does not allow you to eat meat for whatever reason, is something like this also forbidden? (I am not a vegeterian, but am catholic.)[/quote]

You'd probably have to ask your local Priest/Padre/Man of Faith for the answer to this.

The point of giving up meat on Fridays and eating fish, for Catholics, is to honor Christs's accomplishments, right? (Sorry, not Catholic and am unsure about why it's done exactly.) So if you were a veggie, it'd probably be right to give something up on Fridays. NO TOFU FOR YOU!
 
[quote name='poormojo']
So if you were a veggie, it'd probably be right to give something up on Fridays. NO TOFU FOR YOU![/quote]

lol. That's interesting, someone giving up tofu instead of meat. :p

Anyway, I've had delicious tasting "chicken" before, omg! It's actually called Gourmet "Chicken". I go to this veggie restaraunt in SF as often as I can (which isn't that often, because I don't live there :\ ) and their food man, omg, delicious! I never tasted such good "chicken" before! When I make tofu however, erm, it tastes more like egg. I wish I knew how they prepared it because I'd be eating that for breakfast lunch and dinner! So anyways, my point was that it definitly makes a HUGE difference in how it's prepared. My first experience with tofu (some girl BBQ'd it), damn, that was THE NASTIEST stuff I've ever eaten! Even I cooked better tofu and it was my first time! Dang. Anyway, I'm going off topic.

ps
The pizza, tomatoe and basil flavored Morningstar burgers are the best! Oh, and if you haven't been to Chili's yet, they have a delicious tasting black bean pattie. Just ask them to substitute it. I always have the Mushroom Swiss burger, mmm.
 
[quote name='valleyvampiress']
Anyway, I've had delicious tasting "chicken" before, omg! It's actually called Gourmet "Chicken". I go to this veggie restaraunt in SF as often as I can (which isn't that often, because I don't live there :\ ) and their food man, omg, delicious! I never tasted such good "chicken" before![/quote]

Maybe it's the same place my friend was talking about... they're from the Bay Area. They forgot the place's name so I can't go try it out when I go back. :(
 
[quote name='judyjudyjudy'][quote name='valleyvampiress']
Anyway, I've had delicious tasting "chicken" before, omg! It's actually called Gourmet "Chicken". I go to this veggie restaraunt in SF as often as I can (which isn't that often, because I don't live there :\ ) and their food man, omg, delicious! I never tasted such good "chicken" before![/quote]

Maybe it's the same place my friend was talking about... they're from the Bay Area. They forgot the place's name so I can't go try it out when I go back. :([/quote]

I have the business card right here:

Golden Era
Vegetarian Cuisine
572 O'Farrell, San Francisco, CA 94102
414-673-3136
www.goldeneravegetarian.com
 
[quote name='poormojo']Double thumbs up for the "Cuties." They are the only non-dairy faux-ice cream I've had that I've liked.

Has nayone had any luck with vegan cheese? I've tried it several times, but the flavor is just too . . . pungent? for me.[/quote]

The trouble with most imitation cheeses is that almost all of them still have milk casein, rendering (pun intended) them non-vegan. Tofutti makes a few passable cheeses, but they can be pricey and hard to find. I highly recommend the Tofutti "Better than Cream Cheese", but that probably isn't what you are looking for. I have not tried this vegan cheese, but I have been tempted to. Use the link on the left side of the page if you want to order online, the one in the text is misformatted.
 
I dont think I will try vegan cheese. Thats also a little too weird for me. Maybe I give the ice cream a shot.
 
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