It's Not Because It's Healthy: 7 Reasons Your Vegan Recipe Tasted Weird

7 Reasons Your Vegan Recipe Tasted WeirdMistakes in the kitchen happen, especially when you're dealing with vegan recipes and ingredients. Often, these ingredients are unfamiliar. You can easily get confused, lose your way, and basically, mess up. So whether you're just starting to experiment with vegan or vegetarian recipes, or are a long time vegan cook - here are 7 common vegan cooking mistakes. And yes, many of these are pulled from mistakes that I have made in my cooking adventures. Live and learn and keep cooking!







Neglecting to use the right egg replacement1. Neglecting to use the right egg replacement while baking
When veganizing a recipe that traditionally contains eggs - like cookies and cakes - it is not only important to use an egg replacement, but to use the right one. Ingredients like flax seeds, chia seeds, and vital wheat gluten can help with binding. Extra baking powder can help with rising, and silken tofu, applesauce, mashed banana, and grated or pureed veggies can help with moisture and body.
Make bluebird bread



Mixing cold ingredients with coconut oil 2. Mixing cold ingredients with coconut oil You've successfully warmed your coconut oil to room temperature. It's nice and soft - easy to blend in your blender, by hand, or with a mixer. But then you go and add a cold liquid to the blend and oops, coconut oil beads everywhere. Coconut oil firms up very quickly, so if you want a smooth blend, only mix with warm or room temperature liquids and ingredients.
Make cacao coconut butter spread




Using vanilla soymilk in place of plain 3. Using vanilla soymilk in place of plain
Would you like some vanilla-flavored vegan mac and cheese? Probably not. I've made this mistake before, and it's not a pretty outcome. Make sure that if a recipe calls for non-dairy milk (soy, almond, hemp, etc.), you're using original or plain. Only use vanilla in sweet recipes or if the recipe specifically calls for it.
Make fake-out cheese sauce for vegan mac and cheese



Related: 17 recipe tweaks to make meals healthier


Banning fat and oil from your pantry 4. Banning fat and oil from your pantry
There's nothing wrong with cutting back on the fat and oil you use in cooking. But banishing all fats and oils from your vegan pantry probably isn't a smart idea. First off, many may be quite good for you - rich in healthy fats like omega-3 fatty acids. Secondly, with a moderate amount of oil, your recipes can have a greater diversity of preparation methods - and you may be less likely to get bored or start craving some french fries!
Make peanut butter cacao coconut oil fudge


Leaving out small but important ingredients 5. Leaving out small but important ingredients
"Oh, I don't really need 'nutritional yeast' and those few drops of liquid smoke are probably not important." Wrong. Much of vegan cooking is in the details. That small splash of liquid smoke in the stew is what will give it a smoky flavor. And forgetting nutritional yeast means missing out on a lot of cheesy-delicious flavor and thickened texture. Don't be afraid to try and buy new ingredients - you never know what new favorites you'll discover.
Make smoky senate bean soup


Not pressing tofu before cooking 6. Not pressing tofu before cooking
Taking your watery tofu straight from the package to the skillet is a bad idea. You will likely water down your recipe, and the flavors and tofu texture will seem wilted. It takes just a few seconds to wrap your tofu in some paper towels and press out some surface moisture. You could also use a tofu press.
Make tofu 15 different ways




Related: 10 common myths about going vegan debunked


Depending too much on the microwave 7. Depending too much on the microwave
I love sweet potatoes, and when in a bind, I will gladly microwave them. But when I have the time to bake them in the oven, I always notice how incredibly magical the flavors and texture become. Microwaves are helpful tools, but when preparing delicious veggies like sweet potatoes, try to make time for the oven.
Make a sweet potato hummus tartine




- By Kathy Patalsky
Follow Kathy on Babble

For 14 more common vegan cooking mistakes, visit Babble!

MORE ON BABBLE

10 iron-rich foods that aren't meat
9 vegan ways to eat your vitamins
20 delicious salads hearty enough for tonight's dinner
The top foods that will make you gain weight
10 diet foods that are secretly making you fat



Stay connected. Follow Babble on Facebook and Twitter.