stephanier.1765 Posted February 11, 2018 Share Posted February 11, 2018 So I'm still a baby vegan who still has a lot to learn. I see soy curls referred to here and there but I'm not exactly sure what they are and I definitely have no idea how to use them. I visited the Butler Foods website that sells their brand but I'm still pretty clueless. Is this something worth investigating more? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandwalker Posted February 11, 2018 Share Posted February 11, 2018 So I'm still a baby vegan who still has a lot to learn. I see soy curls referred to here and there but I'm not exactly sure what they are and I definitely have no idea how to use them. I visited the Butler Foods website that sells their brand but I'm still pretty clueless. Is this something worth investigating more?We've been vegan over ten years and got by fine never having heard or soy curls until last year. Soy curls are a whole soy product, kind of freeze-dried and stretched out. Amazingly meat-like, in case that grosses you out. I found soy curls at a Whole Foods. It reconstitutes by soaking it in water for 10 minutes, squeezing out the excess liquid, and then cooking it like meat. I've been pan-frying at that point to put a little bit of crispy on the exterior. The last thing I did with it was to mix it up with a Thai-type sauce with scallions, peanuts, sugar snap peas, matchstick cut carrots, and baby kale over brown rice. The whole dish would work without the soy curls (I use dried mushrooms a lot instead), and I've fixed it that way before. But there's something in me that kind of enjoys having some brown food on my plate, and it adds extra protein and that "full" feeling. As a new vegan, it's best to keep it simple. Some usual meals can easily be veganized, like spaghetti, chili, Mexican (or Tex-Mex [emoji6] ), stir fries, soups, etc. Don't feel like you have to buy expensive things like soy curls. Tofu is cheaper and easy to find if you want soy. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stephanier.1765 Posted February 11, 2018 Author Share Posted February 11, 2018 Thank you! Being the only vegan in the house (dh didn't last but a couple of months) cooking food that looks or tastes like meat would be huge bonus. Last night I made a vegan Mexican meal for me and then a separate rice and taco meat for the guys. Way too many dishes to have to hand wash. :( 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandwalker Posted February 11, 2018 Share Posted February 11, 2018 (edited) Thank you! Being the only vegan in the house (dh didn't last but a couple of months) cooking food that looks or tastes like meat would be huge bonus. Last night I made a vegan Mexican meal for me and then a separate rice and taco meat for the guys. Way too many dishes to have to hand wash. :(Oh that's too hard. For a Mexican meal with a mixed vegan/omnivore family, it can be easier than that. Cook and spice the meat first, chop the veggies while it's cooking. Then you can make the tacos the same way, using refried beans or whatever you like in yours and the meat in theirs, and then the rice and toppings can be the same, you just don't use the cheese and/or sour cream. I lazily just nuke a canned refried beans in the microwave, so just a bowl there. Or you can use the same pan you cooked the meat in, just put the meat in an easy to wash container. I'm not explaining this well Lol. Here's a website you might find helpful. It's vegetarian rather than vegan, but just omit the cheese or skip those recipes. :) https://www.kitchentreaty.com/43-recipes-for-vegetarians-and-omnivores-eating-together/ Ooh, here's one I hadn't seen, has vegan/omnivore recipes http://stuffedveggies.blogspot.com/2013/11/a-month-of-meals-for-omnivore-vegan.html?m=1 Edited February 11, 2018 by Sandwalker 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandwalker Posted February 11, 2018 Share Posted February 11, 2018 (edited) Also, if they don't complain, the gardein brand veg 'meats' and the 'Almost Meat' brands are very good tasting. Almost Meat burgers are fantastic on the grill. Edited February 11, 2018 by Sandwalker 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stephanier.1765 Posted February 11, 2018 Author Share Posted February 11, 2018 My jaw dropped. I should have known ideas were out there for mixed eating families but it never occurred to me. No once. All these ideas already out there that can make my life easier. I can't say "thank you" enough. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mytwomonkeys Posted February 11, 2018 Share Posted February 11, 2018 I love soy curls. I don’t really enjoy a lot fake processed vegan meats, but I do use soy curls occasionally & they are yummy! They’re 100% natural, non GMO whole dehydrates soy beans. I use them to make meatloaf, chicken salad, shredded bbq sandwiches, etc. They are also awesome in chicken stir fry. Happy to share any recipes. Jill McKeever on youtube has a ton of video recipes too. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandwalker Posted February 11, 2018 Share Posted February 11, 2018 I love soy curls. I don’t really enjoy a lot fake processed vegan meats, but I do use soy curls occasionally & they are yummy! They’re 100% natural, non GMO whole dehydrates soy beans. I use them to make meatloaf, chicken salad, shredded bbq sandwiches, etc. They are also awesome in chicken stir fry. Happy to share any recipes. Jill McKeever on youtube has a ton of video recipes too. Oh thanks! I'll check out Jill McKeever on YouTube. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mytwomonkeys Posted February 11, 2018 Share Posted February 11, 2018 Oh thanks! I'll check out Jill McKeever on YouTube. :) I enjoy her. She’s a wacky homeschool mom of two teens. I’ve tried many of her recipes and enjoyed them allðŸ‘🻠1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greta Posted February 11, 2018 Share Posted February 11, 2018 Ooh, here's one I hadn't seen, has vegan/omnivore recipes http://stuffedveggies.blogspot.com/2013/11/a-month-of-meals-for-omnivore-vegan.html?m=1 Thank you for this! I just went vegan in August, but my husband and daughter are still omni. I can get them to eat vegan dinners with me three nights a week, but they still want meat (hubby especially) the other four. So this is a huge help! Hubby really likes meat substitutes. I don't really feel like I "need" them personally (I'm quite happy with veggies, rice, potatoes, beans, etc.) but I'm happy to eat them when he wants them. So thank you, OP, for starting this thread, because I'd never heard of soy curls! We've tried Beyond Meat and several varieties of veggie burgers, and we like those. I tried jackfruit once but it gave me a terrible migraine (that's just me, I'm sure it wouldn't do that to most people!) which was a bummer because I really liked the taste and texture. So, I'll definitely have to look for soy curls the next time I'm at Sprouts or Whole Foods. Thanks! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YaelAldrich Posted February 11, 2018 Share Posted February 11, 2018 What's the difference between this and TVP? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mytwomonkeys Posted February 11, 2018 Share Posted February 11, 2018 A tip: reconstitute the soy curls in better than bullion no chicken water. It will make it taste just like chicken. My husband and two teens are all meat eaters. They all enjoy soy curls. The texture is just like chicken. Something else we enjoy on occasion is homemade seitan recipes. My entire family will eat “fried chicken†sandwiches with zero complaints. Lastly, for those of you with meat eaters, check out Edgy Veg on youtube. Yummy, yummy stuff for new vegans. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MEmama Posted February 11, 2018 Share Posted February 11, 2018 I've never heard of these but they sound yummy! Will have to check Whole Foods next time I'm there. What department are they in? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ILiveInFlipFlops Posted February 11, 2018 Share Posted February 11, 2018 Here's a recipe that I make that easily splits into vegan and non-vegan. I do use two pots--a big one that I brown the meat in first and then cook the rest (the meat goes back in at the end) and a smaller pot that has the meatless version. The ingredients are exactly the same for the meatless version, so it's just me sautéing and cooking side by side. You could probably even brown the meat in the smaller pot and leave it aside, cook all the veggies in the big pot, separate yours out, and then add the meat for the omnivores. The omnivores might lose a little of the flavor from the meat juices left over after browning, but honestly, if it's a new dish for them, they'll never know. Real ginger and good toasted sesame oil are the keys, really. http://allrecipes.com/recipe/247300/addictive-asian-beef-slaw-crack-slaw/ This is a pretty flexible recipe too. I've made it with ground beef, ground turkey, only green cabbage, no red pepper, no cilantro (ever! bleh), no lime... As long as you have the ginger and the toasted sesame oil, it's amazing. It's one of the few ways my kids will eat cabbage. Fajitas are good for splitting out the meats from the veggies too. I haven't found a good recipe for them yet though! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stephanier.1765 Posted February 11, 2018 Author Share Posted February 11, 2018 Here's a recipe that I make that easily splits into vegan and non-vegan. I do use two pots--a big one that I brown the meat in first and then cook the rest (the meat goes back in at the end) and a smaller pot that has the meatless version. The ingredients are exactly the same for the meatless version, so it's just me sautéing and cooking side by side. You could probably even brown the meat in the smaller pot and leave it aside, cook all the veggies in the big pot, separate yours out, and then add the meat for the omnivores. The omnivores might lose a little of the flavor from the meat juices left over after browning, but honestly, if it's a new dish for them, they'll never know. Real ginger and good toasted sesame oil are the keys, really. http://allrecipes.com/recipe/247300/addictive-asian-beef-slaw-crack-slaw/ This is a pretty flexible recipe too. I've made it with ground beef, ground turkey, only green cabbage, no red pepper, no cilantro (ever! bleh), no lime... As long as you have the ginger and the toasted sesame oil, it's amazing. It's one of the few ways my kids will eat cabbage. Fajitas are good for splitting out the meats from the veggies too. I haven't found a good recipe for them yet though! Have a you tried seitan or soy curls with this? It looks absolutely delicious. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ILiveInFlipFlops Posted February 12, 2018 Share Posted February 12, 2018 Have a you tried seitan or soy curls with this? It looks absolutely delicious. I haven't, actually. I've seen a a lot of talk about soy curls in the vegan IP groups I'm in on Facebook, but I haven't started investigating them yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom25girls Posted February 12, 2018 Share Posted February 12, 2018 Another "mixed" family (and baby vegan) here! Thanks for all of the responses to this post!!! I have been cooking two nights vegan for all, two nights something that is a bit different but basically the same and two nights cooking separate dinners. It is a LOT of planning ahead but...it's working so far. Looking to simplify!!! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amira Posted February 12, 2018 Share Posted February 12, 2018 How do soy curls compare to TVP in texture? I don’t like the sponginess of TVP (or frozen and thawed tofu). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandwalker Posted February 12, 2018 Share Posted February 12, 2018 How do soy curls compare to TVP in texture? I don’t like the sponginess of TVP (or frozen and thawed tofu).They don't taste like TVP to me. I squeezed out the moisture of the curls and they weren't spongy, the texture was nice. I do not like the textured vegetable protein, either. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mytwomonkeys Posted February 12, 2018 Share Posted February 12, 2018 (edited) How do soy curls compare to TVP in texture? I don’t like the sponginess of TVP (or frozen and thawed tofu).I’m no expert, but my understanding is beyond just the taste. They are a lot less processed & they use the whole soy bean. If you google it there are a lot of comparisons with explanations. ETA- sorry, I thought I quoted someone else asking what the actual difference was between TVP & soy curls. I’m on my phone & wasn’t paying close enough attention. I don’t know how to fix it to reflect the person I was trying to answer 😊 Edited February 12, 2018 by mytwomonkeys 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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