Seeing all the vegan Filipino food posted on Instagram and other social media sites brings me so much joy and hope. I notice that more and more people are cooking vegan food including vegan Filipino cuisine! In fact when I attend a Filipino party, at least one parent says their kid is vegetarian or vegan; Progress! Along with this growing interest comes questions about certain item substitutions, questions like using virgin coconut oil versus refined coconut oil in Longganisa, or bread flour versus all-purpose flour in Pandesal, and replacement for acidophilus probiotics for Pili nut cheese. I’ve answered these questions directly but I want to share my answers with you too in case you have the same questions in mind.
From now on, every Tuesday, expect to see “Ask Astig Vegan” I’ll be answering three questions asked on YouTube, email, and social media so I could share the conversation with you. Please feel free to send your own questions too. Or feel free to share your own answers. I welcome tips, suggestions, and recommendations.
Ask Astig Vegan (Coconut Virgin Oil, Bread Flour, Acidophilus Probiotics)
Michelle Miyazato:
Can I use virgin coconut oil? (on the Longganisa recipe)
Answer: Yes, you could use virgin coconut oil but the Longganisa will have a coconut-y taste. If you don’t mind the coconut flavor, feel free to use virgin coconut oil instead of refined coconut oil. I used the refined version because it doesn’t taste coconut-y but gives the same fatty flavor like the traditional Longganisa. The only thing about refined versions is that they’re more processed and less healthy than unrefined ones. If you’re watching your fat intake, you could also use grape seed oil.
See Longganisa FAQ (where more questions about vegan Longganisa have been answered)
Lauren Allison:
What is the difference between bread flour and all-purpose flour? Can I just use all-purpose flour? Also can I use coconut sugar instead of evaporated cane sugar? Salamat 🙂 (on the Pandesal recipe)
Answer: Bread flour produces denser bread than-all purpose flour. If you don’t mind soft pandesal, feel free to use all-purpose flour. You could also use coconut sugar instead of evaporated cane sugar. In fact, two Astig Vegan followers have used coconut sugar in the Pandesal recipe and they said they loved the result.
Baguio a La Vegan:
This is a godsent channel for noypi newbie vegan like me. I’ve been looking for cheese everywhere and finally a recipe I can follow with available ingredients in the Philippines. Although, I don’t know where to find acidophilus probiotics. What can I substitute? (on the Pili cheese recipe).
Answer: Thank you for the wonderful compliment! Please feel free to check pharmacies and online stores for acidophilus probiotics. You could use the capsule form/solid form and just break to a ground form. If you couldn’t find it anywhere, you could skip using probiotics and make it a pili spread. Still yummy!
To get acidophillus probiotics from my Amazon affiliate: http://amzn.to/1TRVPlj
Here’s a video version of the FAQ for those who prefer to watch and/or listen to the answers:
Did you have the same question? Or perhaps something that I didn’t cover here? Feel free to “Ask Astig Vegan”. I’d be happy to answer them. And to those who have tried the recipes, maraming salamat, thank you very much! I hope you’re enjoying them with family and friends. They’re for you and your loved ones.
Please stay tuned for next Tuesday for another set of “Ask Astig Vegan”. Let’s cook and kain na, let’s eat!