Veganish Recipes: Vegan and Gluten Free Chocolate Cake

I am Dr. Monique May, Board-certified Family Physician and Founder of Physician in the Kitchen™. Through my meal delivery service, best-selling book, MealMasters: Your Simple Guide to Modern Day Meal Planning, and online cooking classes, I help busy households enjoy healthy eating without impacting their hectic schedules.

Hello MealMasters! People choose to adopt vegan or other lifestyles for a variety of reasons, and they are usually related to improving their health. They may want to eliminate the need for medications to treat their cholesterol or high blood sugar, or maybe they want to lose a few pounds to reach an ideal or preferred weight.

By cutting out animal protein, you may notice an improvement in chronic conditions such as joint pain or kidney disease. You may also decrease your risk of developing certain types of cancer.

For me, in addition to the known health benefits of a plant-based diet, I truly enjoy experimenting and testing recipes featuring vegetables or other plant-based foods.

I also get to create in my “lab” while using my many kitchen gadgets and appliances. This year I am chronicling my journey toward more plant-based meals, and I am sharing with my readers my favorite foods, along with tips and tricks I have discovered along the way.

Today I am continuing my series, Dr. Monique’s Favorite Food ABCs. So far we discussed A for avocado, B for beans, C for cilantro, D for dairy replacements. Next is…

E is for egg substitutes. Eggs serve various purposes in so many dishes that replacing them can be quite challenging for those embarking on a vegan journey. They are used in everything from breakfast to dessert. In baking (which I do a lot of), they add structure, height, flavor, and moisture.

In addition to that, in savory dishes (like quiche) they also serve as a thickener and help hold everything together. So the challenge (and the rewarding payoff once you figure out what works best) is finding the right egg substitute for the intended dish.

So far, these are the ones I have discovered and have either used or plan to very soon. Please note that list is not all-inclusive, just the ones that I prefer.