June 2, 2020, by Agnes
Reviewing Weird Vegan Recipes
Hello! I hope you’re well and staying relatively sane.
Over the past week or two, I’ve taken to trying strange new recipes. Some of them to reduce waste, some of them to satisfy some non-vegan cravings. All of them – a little bit strange.
A short bit of background – I’ve been vegetarian since age 14 and started my transition to vegan once I moved to university. Before living independently, I never cooked for myself and was convinced that I was horrible at it because every attempt was a complete disaster. Nevertheless, knowing that I’m an awfully picky eater I opted for self-catered halls; I think it was the best decision I’ve ever made. I experimented with food, tried simple vegan recipes and learned I’m actually a great cook! Fast forward to the end of my first year, cut short by a global pandemic – stuck in quarantine and away from Notts and its lovely veggie spots 🙁
Although I experimented a bit while in halls, I was a little too nervous to try weird vegan recipes in fear of the judgement of my meat-loving flatmates. Being stuck at home turned out to be the perfect time to try weird recipes I stumbled upon online. Here they are, rated from best to worst.
1. Chocolate mousse
Originally from Jadlonomia, a Polish vegan food blogger, this mousse is the most delicious – and the easiest – dessert I have ever made. It consists of only two main ingredients: aquafaba and chocolate. “Why is it weird?” I hear you ask. Well, aquafaba is the water that comes in a can of chickpeas. Yes. Chickpea water. Turns out, it has very similar properties to egg whites which is why they make a bomb mousse. And it uses a by-product that you probably just throw away otherwise!
2. Fried dippy “egg”
This was definitely a hit. Personally, I was never that big of a fan of eggs in the first place but my boyfriend loves them so I managed to find a delicious alternative! The reason why it’s weird is because of how strangely real it tastes but knowing that it’s not an actual egg. The egg white is made from tofu and the runny yolk is just well-seasoned water with cornstarch. The trick is black salt which is quite sulphurous so it tastes and smells just like eggs. I’ve eaten it every way since discovering it – just the ‘whites’ in a sandwich, just the ‘yolk’ in a vegan version of dippy egg and soldiers… Even tofu scramble tastes that much more like an egg when seasoned in the same way.
3. Banana peel “bacon”
I know what it sounds like. I was apprehensive too. But hey, I was going to throw away these peels anyway so why not experiment a little? The banana skins are marinated and then fried until crispy. Did they taste exactly like bacon? Probably not, but then again I haven’t eaten bacon in years. Were they delicious? Yes, right after frying while they were still crispy. If you let them cool down, they become soggy and chewy and taste strongly of banana. Nevertheless, they weren’t bitter or inedible. Just very strange.
And there you have it, none of my ‘weird vegan recipes’ was a complete flop. Some of them even became a staple in my diet.
Let me know if you try any of these recipes! Happy cooking!
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