Some favorite ingrediants:

 

A typical dinner at our house.
Roasted Vegetables in olive oil and fresh basil with a Tomatoe/Red pepper sauce, black and hot chili beans in rice, sauted tofu, & mandarine oranges. You know you have prepared a good meal if it's colorful. Tomato/red pepper sauce is actually from a carton of soup from Trader Joe's. Rice is Zataran's with extra beans and rice added to reduce the salt per serving to a reasonable amount. Vegetables were small onions, zucinni, yellow squash and parsnips mixed with olive oil and fresh basil leaves and just roasted under the broiler. Tofu is just a slice of soft tofu sautee'd with some cajun spices.

One of my favorite breakfast plates:
A Trader Joes Spicy Vegetable Burrito (2 for $2.19) with salsa and fresh cilantro on top.

Two Trader Joe's Veg based Sausage Patties and ½ a diced potato with a bit of onion cooked in a tblsp of peanut oil (Entire dish in the same 12" skillet)

Note as you first make the transition into a plant based diet you will likely want to have some faux meat products on the plate because that is what you are used to - having a meal based around the meat dish. As you progress you can wean yourself of this tendency and just select the meals portions on getting well balenced tastes and nutrients.

Gardenburger's "Riblets" are great tasting and will fool you into thinking you are eating fatty rib meat but it's all good for you! I add a bit of Montgomery Inn barbeque sauce. Great as a sandwich too. Watch the rest of their products though as most contain dairy or egg. All Grocery's have these in the veggie burger or frozen section.

Tofurky's Italian Sausages are very good. My favorite use of these sun dried tomato and basil flavored are in a whole wheat bun with sourkraut and jalapeno mustard.

Get em at: Wild Oats

Seitan is a wheat based chicken substitute that can be used in any way chicken is used - it's really good, has the same consistancy as tender chicken, and absorbs flavors well.
Bigg's Hyde Park, Wild Oats or health food stores.

I get this frozen Curried Rice Mix at Trader Joe's
Makes a great side dish.

All major groceries have at least one dairy free pizza choice. Trader Joe's has the lowest price.

Trader Joes has the only Vegan sausages that I have found - these are as good as the real thing! See breakfast plate above.

Silk makes lots of great soymilk products.

Great on cereal!

Tofu usually comes in 15 oz tubs as soft, firm and extra firm. Lot's of uses and very good for you.

Miso is fermented soy bean paste.
Used in lot's of vegan receipes, Miso has the beneficial bacteria for digestion so don't heat it. I make a great Cheeze spread with it

Uncle Eddies cookies from Wild Oats.

A bit expensive but very good.

TINGS! by Robert's Gourmet are like cheese puffs except they use the cheesy nutritional yeast instead of dairy. Really good if you need your salty snack food.

Wild Oat's has them - Jungle Jims and Biggs HydePark carry this brand but not this product?

Yes you can still enjoy chocolate!
(just not milk chocalate!)

Biggs Hyde Park store

Cilantro is used in mexican and other ethnic dishes and one of my favorites. To keep it fresh I rinse well, cut off the bottom of the stalks and run the water for 30 seconds rushing against the cut ends of the stalks then place in a water filled container in the fridge - they will stay fresh for a couple weeks!

Silk coffee creamer - you don't need cows cream any more!