Many people say to me they have never eaten or made vegan food, but when I ask if they have ever had pasta with marinara sauce, I tell them that is a vegan dish. Grains, beans, vegetables, and fruits prepared without animal products such as cheese, meat, chicken, fish, butter, sour cream etc. are vegan foods.

It is so easy to make dishes vegan. Substitute beans for hamburger, chicken or fish in dishes such as chili, burritos or Shepherd’s Pie. Add plenty of vegetables and/or cannellini beans instead of meat or sausage to a pasta sauce. This will keep your dish hearty and satisfying. Start using vegetable broth instead of the chicken or beef broths you usually use in soups or dishes. You won’t miss any flavor, just season to taste and your dish will still be delicious.

Begin to leave off the cheese on sandwiches or in dishes, substitute mustard for mayo and avocado for sour cream. Garnish with herbs such as cilantro, basil, parsley, scallion or freshly squeezed lemon or ginger juice. This will add more flavor and freshness to any soup or dish.

If you are used to cooking, you don’t need any special pots or pans for vegan cooking. A skillet, soup pot, saucepan and steamer, will be enough for you to make plenty of dishes. Blanching, steaming, sautéing, roasting & boiling are cooking methods you can use to prepare veggies in different ways. Varying the cooking style of vegetables will not only give you different tastes, but will keep you from getting bored.

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Take a look at some of my free recipes and give it a try! Or you can purchase my cookbook Comfort Food gets a Vegan Makeover. It has over 60 recipes of your favorite comfort foods. All madeover with a vegan twist.