Simple Tastes Best.

And amazingly cheap too.

I do try and cook with a big variety of vegetables for their flavour, colour, taste and of course health benefits. Through trying out various vegan options I have kind of created a envelope full of meals that I tend to rotate as the mood fits. It isn't unheard of to make curry twice in a row. Thankfully Bob loves it.

The texture and look of mince as in spaghetti bolognese has often been a comfort go-to choice to cook and since we don't do meat anymore, I have discovered the versatility of soy mince. In looks it mimics mince, in taste it is bland until spiced up and in price, gosh golly, so much cheaper that I often wonder why I have never cooked with it before.

A bag of 500 g dried soy mince costs about three euros and when soaked in water, makes at least six ample portions of pasta sauce. I usually fry up onions, garlic and chili add the soaked soy mince, a can of tomatoes and if on offer, fresh or canned mushrooms. Seasoned it can taste out of this world. Sometimes my seasoning skills are absent but luckily Bob tends to take over and add the perfect dashes of spices.

We had pasta and soy-mince last night and coupled with the wholewheat pasta, the whole supper couldn't have cost us more than two euros to make. For the two of us with leftovers in the fridge. And, both of us love to eat it. How amazing is that? And healthy too.

Somehow I have a feeling that many more people the world over are going to become part time or full time vegans if for nothing else than to save money on food. With the added bonus that eating that way is healthier, cheaper and saves parts of the rain forest from being decimated for growing soy.

P/s: Don't be fooled by people saying that vegans eat too many soy products and thus are responsible for the rain forest being burnt...Not at all. All those soybeans grown in the rain forest are used as feed for mass produced cows, pigs and chickens. So, buying cheap meat products causes more of the rain forest to be destroyed, not us vegans!

Biggi