Vegan Cooking for Beginners with Arden's Garden
If you’re even a little bit interested in vegan cooking, we have news for you - the experience does not have to be overwhelming.
If you’re even a little bit interested in vegan cooking, we have news for you - the experience does not have to be overwhelming. Vegan cooking for beginners is about one basic principle: focusing more on plants and avoiding meat and dairy. Alright, that might be overwhelming for some. Our CEO, Leslie Zinn, became vegan 14 years ago, and she’ll be the first to tell you, “I’m no chef!” Her suggestion is: “Don’t go cold turkey overnight. Ease into it.” Leslie is a big believer in the philosophy espoused by the former food journalist for the New York Times, Mark Bittman:
“The principles are simple: deny nothing; enjoy everything, but eat plants first and most.”
-Mark Bittman
At Arden’s Garden, our mission is “Good Health for All.” Frankly, if you want to be really healthy, you should eat more plants! To that end, we are hosting a cooking demo called Vegan4Veginners. Leslie is teaming up with Arden’s Garden chef Victor Boroda to share some ideas on vegan cooking at home and to dispel the myth that cooking vegan will break the bank. The event is on March 15th at noon and will be held in Arden’s Garden kitchen located behind our East Point store.
In preparation for that event, we thought we’d share some insights from both Leslie and Victor on converting to vegan cooking and how to introduce more plants into your diet.
How Do You Start Cooking Vegan as a Beginner?
“In our family, beans are a staple,” says Leslie. Start your week with a big pot of beans and factor those beans into your meals all week long. “If you have beans, vegetables, and rice that’s one meal. The next night, roll those veggies and beans into a burrito and add some salsa.” Arden’s Garden’s “Elote corn dip” is a staple in Leslie’s home. Leslie opines, “sauces are the key to vegan cooking,” Sauces spice up everything you eat and become the theme around your meal. A tofu scramble is as easy as scrambled eggs without the eggs of course. “Topped with our corn dip and salsa? Yum.”
Arden's Garden Smoked Elote Corn Dip
Leslie will be the first to be honest about the challenges of eating vegan and vegan cooking. “It’s completely natural to crave the foods you loved when you were a meat eater. For example, I miss my Jewish foods like Noodle Kugel or a classic Reuben,” she says. She advocates getting creative. “I found a recipe for a vegan Reuben that I’m going to try. It features mandolin-sliced sweet potato instead of pastrami. Turns out I was craving the sauerkraut and Russian dressing more than the pastrami!” So don’t just think about replacing the meat or dairy; think about what you love about a dish and add veggies!
Chef Victor, Arden’s Garden’s lead chef, also admits to some challenges. “When I first started experimenting with vegan cooking, I had to figure out how to make meals that tasted good AND kept me full. It took some trial and error, but once I got the hang of it, I realized just how versatile plant-based food can be.” Translation? You don’t have to be a pro to whip up some seriously delicious vegan meals; maybe you just need a little guidance!
Then there’s the whole cooking part. Chef Victor advises, “Don’t expect your plant-based swaps to taste exactly like the non-vegan versions. Instead, focus on creating flavors you love. Once you stop comparing, that’s when you start enjoying the process!”
And let’s not forget the whole social side of things. Navigating family dinners, holidays, and time with your friends can be tricky, but Chef Victor’s got a solution: “Bring your own dish. It might be hard to navigate old traditions, but it doesn’t mean you can’t teach an old dog new tricks.” Plus, once your family tries your food and realizes how good it is, they might even ask for the recipe!
Three Vegan Cookbooks to Get Your Started!
Leslie said it herself, “I’m no chef,” but she does rely on cookbooks for inspiration. She has three cookbooks that serve as her Bible to vegan cooking. They are:
Be a Plant-Based Woman Warrior by Jane and Anne Crile Esselstyn
This cookbook is by a mother-daughter duo who believe women everywhere should pass on a legacy of good eating to their families. They also believe that diet is everything when it comes to living a happy, disease-free, healthy life. There are so many sauce recipes in this book, and remember, Leslie says, “Sauces are the key to vegan cooking!” Their recipe for Walnut-Ginger dressing is to die for and goes with everything.
How Not to Die Cookbook by Michael Greger, MD
The title of this cookbook by physician Michael Greger says everything, right? A lot of folks come to vegan eating because they got a disturbing medical diagnosis like dangerously high blood pressure or suffer from a life-disabling disease. This cookbook is excellent for anyone looking to alleviate medical symptoms through diet. There’s a lot of nutritional science behind his recipes, too. Some Arden’s Garden fan favorites include Spaghetti Squash Puttanesca and Roasted Asparagus with Yellow Pepper Bearnaise.
We love this cookbook by Carleigh Bodrug because every recipe comes with a photo (so it’s fun to flip through and get inspo), and it’s super well-organized. Speaking of inspo, you’re going to want to follow Carleigh on Instagram because the way she preaches plant-based cooking is simply delightful and infectious. Leslie loves this cookbook because the recipes are easy, and “once you have your refrigerator stocked with fruits and veggies, you can whip up anything.
Leslie says, “These vegan cookbooks are a good starting place for ideas. I love paging through cookbooks, and it helps me develop some basic vegan meals that I can make again and again for my family.”
Vegan Cooking Planning & Preparation
Going vegan doesn’t mean you will only be swapping out meat for tofu; it’s about learning a new way to balance your plate, stock your pantry, and navigate meals outside of your kitchen. One of the first things many people ask is where do you get your protein?!” “It’s not as hard as people think,” says Chef Victor. “There are so many plant-based sources: lentils, chickpeas, quinoa, tofu, seitan. The key is just learning how to incorporate them into meals in a way that’s satisfying.”
That’s where meal planning comes in handy. “If you don’t plan, you’re gonna end up eating peanut butter and jelly for dinner!” Chef Victor jokes. And while a PB&J is a go-to from time to time, you’re probably going to want a little variety.
Leslie also suggests that if you’re going to try to go vegan, make a plan - you don’t want to find yourself “desperation eating” because your pantry is not stocked with the basics. “It’s easy to become a junk food vegan - I mean, Oreos are vegan. Potato chips are vegan! French fries and ketchup are vegan!” You definitely don’t want a diet composed solely of potato chips, Oreos, and fries. Vegan cooking is more of a mindset than anything. “I look at it this way: choose the foods that nourish you over those that poison you.”
Arden’s Garden to Help You Along the Journey
At Arden’s Garden, our motto is “Good Health for All” and in our mind, that’s about introducing more plants into your diet. The evidence is clear. According to the NIH (National Institute of Health), eating a vegan diet can reduce the risk of chronic diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and some cancers.” Leslie is proud of the fact that “This is our 30th year of providing plant-based juices, smoothies, and meals. It’s our goal to encourage others to become more plant forward, whether you want to go fully vegan or not.”
Eating Vegan Isn’t as Hard as You Think
At our Vegan3Veginners cooking demo on March 15th, we hope everyone who attends will see that cooking vegan can be easy and budget-friendly, especially when you layer plant-based ingredients into your recipes and repurpose them into different meals for the week.
And the major consideration about learning to cook and eat vegan? Your health! Leslie firmly believes in the following: “When you eat vegan, I promise you you’ll feel fantastic. I have more mental clarity and optimism about life since I shifted to vegan eating 14 years ago.”