Being vegan is super easy and fun if you know how to use the most important tool in cooking: SPICES.
Combing different spices can make some beautiful flavors and dishes.
Rice and beans: For the rice, i like to add a bay leaf in while it cooks and take it out when it's done. For classic kidney or pinto beans and rice, i add cumin, chili powder or cayenne, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder and salt. You can pretty much use these seasonings to make a yummy vegan chili too.
Curry: If have rice with the curry, i add fennel seeds and a bay leaf to basmati rice to make it kinda fancy like at the restaurants. For the curry, i use curry powder, turmeric, cumin, fennel, paprika and garlic powder. I like using coconut milk as the base and adding veggies like cauliflower, potatoes, carrots, peas and especially chickpeas.
Pasta sauce: For Italian dishes i use oregano, dried basil, garlic powder, and onion powder. Sometimes to make a pasta dish more filling, i fry coat tofu in cornstarch with Italian seasonings and pan fry until crispy and serve it with the pasta and sauce.
Taco Tuesday: To make vegan tacos i suggest using Gardein Meatless Grounds and adding canned tomato, a taco seasoning packet or cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne (just a dash), paprika and salt. When i make a simple can of re fried beans, i add lime juice and cumin to spice it up and add flavor to my burritos.
Tofu scramble or Tofu ''Eggs'': When i make tofu scrambles i like it a little crispy so i don't add milk like other people do. I add turmeric for color (it doesn't really taste like much but it's very good for you. I also use turmeric along with vegan mayo, mustard and relish for tofu ''egg'' salad. To spice up my tofu scramble i add garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, chili-lime and salt. If I'm having a breakfast burrito with black beans and peppers, I'll also add cumin along with the other seasonings to make it more southwestern style. And to make it Indian style, ill add hash brown style potatoes, curry powder and fennel. If I'm making a breakfast sandwich, I'll just cut the tofu into squares, coat with the seasonings and pan fry. Remember: tofu is bland so also season and taste and add more if it needs it no matter what your recipe says.
Stir fry: Everyone knows to add soy sauce to stir fry but did you know about sesame oil? It can take your basic stir fry to restaurant quality and you only need a little bit. Also, sriracha, and lime juice can take it to another level. When i make pad Thai, i use peanut butter, lime juice, soy sauce and veggie broth and it's DELICIOUS.
To Make Things Fishy: To make vegan things taste fishy i suggest using kelp flakes, Old Bay and seaweed. When i make clam chowder i use these seasonings and veggie broth to make it taste ''real''. I've even made vegan fish filets by wrapping tofu in seaweed snacks, battering them and frying them up. My mom loves using hearts of palm as clams in dishes, adding kelp and Old Bay to any dish will give it that fishy flavor without the fish!
Having basic spices handy can make the most boring meal taste like it's from a restaurant.
My Favorite spices include:
Garlic powder
Onion salt
Paprika
Curry powder
Chili-lime seasoning*
Cumin
Bay leaves
Basil
Italian seasoning
Thyme
Rosemary
Cayenne
Turmeric
Kelp flakes
Old Bay
Everything But the Bagel Seasoning*
21 Seasoning Salute*
*Pre-made Spice mixes from Trader Joe's
Hope this helps!