The Virgin Vegan

In what ways does your creativity enable you to make big decisions? For me, being vegan was a product of my creativity.

Since I can remember, I’ve loved food! Every country and cuisine I’m here for it! Whether that be Cincinnati chili, Thai coconut curry, or traditional Indian samosas; I want it. Since I packed up my belongings from my dorm room in Nashville I have experimented with so many flavors and recipes in my home kitchen. While I was settling in, I definitely spoiled myself everyday with a yummy breakfast. Cooking every morning was something I began looking forward to. The more routine it became, the more I began to pay attention to the intricacies and flavors. I slowly incorporated my own creative flare into each dish.

As time went by, I got bored. I needed a challenge that was feasible and well worth it. Think about it like this, a girl that loves Takis and all things spicy needed to venture into tofu and tempeh. As I’m writing this I realized I have no idea how to pronounce that but it is absolutely delicious.

Long story short, I decided to be vegan.

Back to the basics, I went a step beyond my regular normal and evolved. Veggies and grains were once staples in my meals that transformed into my plate. A necessary trip to Jungle Jim’s to have my fair share of exploring the many sauces and spices in every aisle. I clung to Latin flavors. I taught myself the necessary herbs in popular regions to replicate each dish to the best of my ability. Here are a few of my favorite vegan hacks, virgin style:

- Jazzed up ramen - I love noodles and ramen is such a quick bite. Ditch the seasoning packet & let’s pull out the seasonings in your cabinet.

Crushed Red Pepper

Ginger

Sesame Oil

Black Pepper

Tad bit of soy sauce

Garlic Powder

*chefs kiss*

In instances like these I honestly ditch proportions. My only instructions to you include: don't overdo it. If you do not enjoy a flavor, simple do not add a lot of that spice.

- Avocado toast

Meshed up avocado

Garlic powder

Cayenne pepper

Black pepper

Himalayan salt

Seed of your choice to sprinkle on top

I prefer my avocado smooth in consistency especially on my toast. To achieve this texture, use a fork and stir the avocado until desired consistency.

- Fried rice

I am not a professional when it comes to fried rice. I do not think, actually I know I'm not qualified to allow hundreds of people to make fried rice that is not up to their standard. Let's clarify, my fried rice is delicious. The best hack I utilize during this process is using day old refrigerated white rice. This prevents the rice from turning into mush & overcooking during the frying process. Fried rice is a big trial and error process. If you're normal it will 9/10 turn out somewhat not very good. With refrigerated rice I promise you're being proactive. Use this hack to your advantage!