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Plant-based advocate and culinary enthusiast Katrina Gay is making it known that a plant-based diet does not have to be difficult or self-abnegating. “I have been plant-based for a total of 27 years,” she says proudly.
Transitioning from a vegetarian diet to a vegan lifestyle as of last year, the seasoned home cook has amassed a wealth of knowledge that can help anyone looking to eat healthier or switch up their daily diet.
In her latest cookbook, “Soulful and Vegan,” she highlights southern classics and original recipes with ingredients that can be substituted to accommodate any veg-focused or health-conscious lifestyle.
Through her cookbook and her own experiences, Gay offers advice from years of being meatless while emphasizing that plant-based cooking can be easy, sustainable, and packed with flavor when done correctly.
Southern Influence
Growing up in Hampton Roads, Virginia, Gay acquired her passion for cooking and her roots in southern cuisine from the women in her family. “My love of cooking began when I was a little girl,” shares the “Soulful and Vegan” author.
“I had southern grandmothers and my mother was southern. All the women cooked, so I was always around cooks.”
Her grandmother on her dad’s side cooked with homegrown vegetables, teaching Gay how to work with and prepare fresh produce. “They grew everything, so I was always around fresh ingredients, and I learned more of my natural cooking from her.”
On her mom’s side, she learned about working with herbs and seasonings to coax the flavor out of any dish. The culinary skills she gained from her family would make adopting a plant-based lifestyle a smoother transition, but she would soon realize that there was still much more to learn.
The Drive-Thru Debacle
Gay reflects on the time she first decided to become vegetarian and what she wished she would have known starting. “When I first became vegetarian, I did not research anything. I was in college, I was going to be Buddhist, I was going to go meatless because they weren’t calling it plant-based at the time, so I quit cold turkey.”
Newly vegetarian and brimming with resolve, she learned after a few months that maintaining the diet consisted of more than simply avoiding meat. “I was just eating straight vegetables,” the culinarian recalls laughing.
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“I was not eating any protein at all and I remember, I was driving home from school, I passed by a McDonald’s, and I was like, ‘Oh my God, I need meat!’”
After falling ill from the indulgent trip through the drive-thru, she learned more from her doctor about the nutrition gaps that need to be filled in a vegetarian diet.
“As vegans and vegetarians, we don’t get some of the vitamins like iron, vitamin K and vitamin B that you find in a lot of meat and dairy. So, it is important that you replace those because you still want to be keeping your muscles in check, and you want to keep your brain healthy,” she explains.
Now, she always recommends that anyone with plans to cut meat out or try a new diet talk to their doctor to learn the best way to achieve their goal. She also encourages people to do their own research to learn about what they could be missing in their diets.
Protein is Key
Gay shares some of her favorite meat substitutes to help anyone having trouble finding a suitable protein replacement. “Because you’re not getting certain things from the meat anymore, you need to know how to replace them and replace them properly—not by going to the drive-thru,’” she says jokingly.
At the top of her list are king oyster mushrooms for their versatility and flavor. “They taste amazing, and they are also rich in minerals, vitamins and antioxidants. You can sauté it for soups, bake it in casseroles, and they also make tasty fried chicken substitutes.”
Her next two favorites are tofu and lentils, both are great sources of protein and affordable options. The vegan home cook suggests tofu for its texture and ability to soak flavor through marinades and sauces. “Since it is like a sponge, you can marinate it in anything,” she states.
Lentils are rich in folate and iron and can be easily made into soups, stews and even burgers. “They are very easy to cook and one of the most budget-friendly meat substitutes that you can find at all types of markets.”
With nutrition concerns in check, the only thing to worry about is learning how to make appetizing plant-based dishes that are not too much of a hassle.
Luckily, Katrina Gay has us covered with her cookbook, offering a variety of delicious and easy-to-make recipes.
Soulful and Vegan Eating
“Soulful and Vegan: The Ultimate Guide to Southern Plant-Based Cooking” celebrates the richness of southern cuisine with creative plant-based recipes ranging from breakfast to dessert.
When asked about her favorite dishes from the cookbook, she answers decisively, “I really like the vegan gumbo.” The gumbo features seasoned and marinated plant-based sausage to build the flavor simmered with white rice, beans and vegetables.
She also highlights her vegan sweet potato pie as a crowd favorite and a big hit with her family. “I made that for Thanksgiving and it disappeared fast,” she smiles. “People were like, ‘You need to make me like two more pies so I can freeze them.’”
With soul food favorites like gumbo, sweet potato pie, and even plant-based chicken and waffles, the cookbook makes exploring new options and trying classic southern dishes without the meat easy.
“I never try to turn anyone plant-based,” the Virginia native assures. “But I kind of like to let them experience it and see what they want to do.”
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Many of the recipes in the cookbook draw inspiration from the dishes that Gay’s mother, Dr. Joanna Epp-Gay, used to prepare for her daughter when she was younger, as well as some recipes from their shared years of following a plant-based lifestyle.
After her mom’s passing in 2018, the author dedicated the cookbook to Dr. Epp-Gay, commemorating her memory and her favorite recipes.
“My mom cooked all the time,” Gay says thoughtfully. “I wanted to do something special to honor her, and that’s how I came up with the cookbook. I was like, “It’s just finally time to write something like the recipes she used to make and incorporate into plant-based.’”
“Soulful and Vegan” is available for purchase and you can learn more about it online. To keep up with cookbook author Katrina Gay and her culinary journey, you can follow her on Instagram.
