When I first went vegan, I wasn’t worried about a lot of things. I wasn’t concerned about where I would get my protein, and I didn’t stay up at night wondering if I’d die from lack of B12. I did my research and was fully prepared to eschew meat and cheese and knew I wouldn’t get scurvy from a lack of Vitamin Steak. (A real thing.) (Not.) No, what I worried about was how my family would take it. Would my mom be bummed that I didn’t want to eat her spaghetti and meatballs? Would I have to turn away from my grandmother’s beloved roasts? Would the fact that I didn’t eat Corned Beef and Cabbage on St. Patrick’s Day drive my dad crazy?
Well, as it turns out, yes and no. At first, my family didn’t love that I couldn’t eat the same foods they held so dear, but after a while, they saw I was serious about this transition, and they got on board. Together, we adapted and developed old family favorites. In fact, it turned into a fun (and delicious!) challenge; each of us trying to figure out whether cashews or coconut milk made the best creamy soup base. Food once again became a bonding experience and I no longer felt left out—and they no longer felt like they were losing their daughter/granddaughter to the dark (read: tofu) side! Even better, we found some new and exciting dishes that we’ve integrated into our rotation as part of our new family traditions. Here are some of the best ones:
Mac and Cheese. Everyone is obsessed with a good mac and cheese. Rich, creamy, and decadent, it’s the perfect food. You know what’s better than traditional Mac and Cheese? This light and delicious version made with silken tofu. So. Freaking. Good.
When it comes to lasagna, I am basically Garfield. Give me a giant pan of the good stuff, and leave me alone for a few days. This version is so tasty that my cheese-loving dad begs me to bring it on holidays. Dig in.
Comfort food to me means something I turn to when I want a hug. Something familiar and guaranteed tasty. My go to dish before I went vegan was Chinese Chicken Salad. Man! I loved it so much! Well, it turns out when you sub in tofu, it’s just as scrumptious! This recipe is the bomb dot com (sorry, not sorry).
This recipe was brought to you by Nasoya!