After a seven-year sojourn in California, Sean and Amanda Fitts have
returned to the Midwest to spread the word about vegan eating with recipes
for everything from pasta sauce to Reuben sandwiches to peanut butter zigzag
ice cream.
It easy to find vegan items in the meat-loving Midwest, they say. And the
most delicious thing of all? They know that their heart-healthy diet is good
for the environment and for animals as well.
VEGGIE TO VEGAN
The Fitts, of Peoria, Ill., have been vegans for about six years, and were
vegetarians for two years before that.
Sean is a college science teacher. He said that because heart disease runs
in his family he has always experimented with ways to make his favorite
dishes healthier.
"I'd take old recipes my family did and turned them into vegan dishes just
by playing around," he said.
After being vegetarians, making the move to veganism - and eliminating not
just meat but animal products such as cheese, eggs and milk from their diets
- seemed like the logical next step.
"When we were living in Los Angeles we decided to try to eliminate as much
torture from our food as we could," he said.
Amanda, who is pursuing a master's degree in counseling from Bradley
University in Peoria, said she felt even healthier after going vegan.
"I felt like I had more energy," she said. "I used to get colds a lot, and
now I rarely ever get colds or the flu."
LIMITED OPTIONS
The Fittses try to follow a vegan diet as closely as they can, but "we have
to break the rules a little," Sean said.
Dining out can be tricky, but they have found several restaurants that
accommodate their dining needs. They even bring their own soy cheese to the
two pizza parlors they frequent.
Eating on the road can be tough, Amanda said, and catered lunches at
business conferences seldom account for vegans.
"On the West Coast there was always something at least vegetarian," Amanda
said. "Sometimes your only option for a meal might be a roll and something
to drink."
Consequently, the Fittses make lots of meals at home from groceries
purchased at local stores. However, once every six weeks or so, they drive
to Chicago to stock up at Trader Joe's and Whole Foods Market.
They even feed vegetarian dog food by Natural Balance to their greyhound and
border collie. They sometimes make dog food using ingredients such as
oatmeal, rice, carrots and kelp.
'A SUBSTITUTE FOR EVERYTHING'
There's always a vegan dish to be found in the couple's home, such as Sean's
New England Molasses Pudding, a crockpot recipe that fills the house with
the scents of ginger, allspice and cinnamon. Sean makes a deep-dish pizza
with veggie pepperoni and sausage.
They enjoy Vegan Tempeh Reubens, with vegan Monterey Jack cheese and
seasoned tempeh (a soybean cake with a nutty flavor). Amanda's Vegan Pumpkin
Cheesecake — made with pureed tofu and nondairy cream cheese — would please
the most discriminating of palates.
"At first there were certain foods we really missed, but now we have a
substitute for everything," Amanda said. Veggie fish sauce, for example,
allows them to make Thai and Asian dishes without sacrificing flavor. A
couple of tablespoons of Tofutti sour cream thickens up sauces.
Don't let yourself think Sean and Amanda never stray. You can find a carton
of Purely Decadent peanut butter zigzag - a chocolatey non-dairy frozen
dessert with chunks of peanut butter - if you happened to go rifling through
their freezer.
"I'm not completely healthy," Sean said. "I have a fryer. And we have a
vegan version of every junk food."
FUSILLI WITH SWEET ITALIAN VEGGIE SAUSAGE
2 teaspoons olive oil (divided use)
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 (12-ounce) package Morning Star Veggie Sausage Crumbles
1 (12-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (14.5-ounce) can chopped tomatoes with basil and oregano
1/4 cup Tofutti sour cream
1 tablespoon raw sugar
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon rosemary
Splash of red wine (optional)
1 pound fusilli pasta, or pasta of your choice, cooked following package
directions
Yields 6 servings.
In large cast-iron skillet, heat 1 teaspoon of olive oil. Add garlic and
sausage crumbles and heat until lightly brown. Add tomato sauce and chopped
tomatoes to skillet, stirring continuously. Add remaining ingredients
(except pasta) and let simmer for about 10 minutes.
Serve over pasta.
VEGAN TEMPEH REUBENS
Tempeh:
1/4 cup Bragg Liquid Aminos (see note)
1 small onion, quartered
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1 bay leaf
2 cups water
1 (8-ounce) package tempeh, sliced
Dressing:
1/4 cup vegan mayonnaise
3 tablespoons relish
2 tablespoons ketchup
Sandwiches:
8 slices rye bread
5 ounces vegan Monterey Jack cheese, sliced (see note)
1 cup sauerkraut
Yields 4 servings.
To make tempeh: Combine liquid aminos, onion, garlic, bay leaf and 2 cups
water in saucepan over medium heat. Add tempeh slices and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to simmer and cook 20 minutes. Cover, and let tempeh cool in
broth.
To make dressing: Stir together mayonnaise, relish and ketchup in small
bowl.
To make sandwiches: Toast 4 slices bread. Set aside.
Drain cooled tempeh and discard liquid, onion, garlic and bay leaf. Place 3
slices tempeh on each slice of untoasted bread. Place cheese-topped bread
face-up in broiler for 3 to 5 minutes, or until cheese has melted.
Top each sandwich with 1/4 cup sauerkraut. Spread toasted bread slices with
dressing. Place tops on sandwiches, and slice in half.
Notes: Liquid aminos is a liquid protein concentrate derived from soybeans.
You may substitute soy sauce instead. Sean and Amanda Fitts use Follow Your
Heart vegan cheese, which they say melts better than other brands.
