I'm Sam Turnbull, vegan recipe blogger, cookbook author, and YouTuber writing to you from Toronto, Canada.
Here's my story...
You can sit back and watch this video or skip it and read my story below.
Going vegan
You might be surprised to hear that the moment I decided I was going to go vegan, I was completely and utterly bummed about it.
Let me explain, I NEVER in a million and six years thought I would become vegan.
I grew up in a family of foodies, chefs, butchers, and hunters (yes, it's true). My household had a flock of chickens (both for eggs and for eating), the freezers were stocked full of meat, steaks were cooked rare, and there were even real animal heads decorating the walls (not that I ever liked the heads). Now, doesn’t that just sound like the most vegan household you have ever heard of? Probably not. So, as I’m sure you can imagine, switching to veganism was a BIG change for me.
So what in the world happened?
As a kid I always loved animals. I had dogs, cats, gerbils, turtles, and even a rabbit named Gravy (no, I didn’t realize how incredibly odd that was at the time). But even though I loved animals, I was still an avid meat eater. It made sense to me: animals were killed because we “needed” to eat meat and that seemed a-ok to me.
I thought vegetarians, and especially vegans, were so extreme and silly. They were all dying of protein deficiency for sure. (Insert eye roll here.) So, that’s how I was coasting along through life. Loving my pets, being creeped out by fur and taxidermy, all while wearing leather and eating meat, eggs, and dairy.
Then…
One fine day in 2012, I made (what turned out to be) the best decision ever: to sit down and watch a documentary about being vegan called Vegucated. And that triggered some uncomfortable questions in my brain. So the next morning I woke up and decided to try being vegan. I cleaned out my cupboards and fridge of anything that wasn't vegan and started this crazy new adventure.
I knew I wanted to try it, but I also knew I wasn't entirely convinced yet, so that night I watched Forks Over Knives. And then I followed that up with every health, environment, and animal cruelty book and film I could get my hands on.
The result? You guessed it, here I am today, dun dun duuuuun! A vegan. (Hi!) 👋
By the end of my documentary and book binge-fest, two things were absolutely clear to me:
- I was officially going vegan.
- I didn’t want to be vegan.
After all of my research, it made 100% logical sense to me to be vegan. It was better for my health, the environment, and, of course, the animals. The problem was, I actually hated the idea of adopting a vegan lifestyle. I remember being so frustrated, almost wishing I could un-learn all of the facts I had learned. I loved meat and cheese, and I really didn’t want to be “that vegan girl.” Well, I couldn’t un-learn, so I had to come up with a new plan of attack: be the best damn vegan I could be!
Becoming the best damn vegan I could be...
I had always loved to cook, so I started researching vegan cooking. I stocked my cupboards with what the recipes required: hard-to-find, expensive, and odd ingredients such as arrowroot starch, brown rice syrup, xylitol, guar gum, spelt, hemp, and other things that I still have lingering in some back corner. All the recipes had names that included the words “energy,” “glow,” “detox,” or “power,” and were mainly for bars, balls, juices, smoothies, and salads. They required hours of prep, dehydrating, and straining, and had a ton of steps. Cookies were raw, chocolate was frozen, desserts were healthy, dinner was spiralized, grain bowls were a must, and everything had kale, quinoa, chia seeds, sprouts, avocado, and coconut oil in it. This, to me, was indeed boring food.
Now, don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with those kinds of recipes. They just weren’t for me. Sometimes I love a smoothie or a juice, but for the most part, I just want pancakes and pasta. Why did I have to become all sprouts and kale just because I was vegan?
So, I began playing around in the kitchen...
I stopped the costly trips to the health food stores, and instead of using the recipes I had found, I started being inspired by my old favourite recipes. I learned that juices weren’t required, I didn’t have to love energy balls, and I could make meals that actually appealed to me and my friends (whether they were vegan or not). I soon discovered that any meal could be made vegan, and with a few clever tweaks, a large spice cabinet, and a dash of creativity, I began loving my recipes. In fact, I loved them more than the original animal product-based recipes.
Not only were my new creations satisfying, hearty, full of flavour, and straight-up delicious, but they were just as easy to make as any other meal. With limitation came inspiration, and before I knew it, going vegan had become one of the best decisions I’d ever made!
As a sweet bonus, I saw my health improve. I didn’t even know that I had been feeling bad until I learned what it felt like to feel great! Gone were the days of feeling bloated after eating, of having a sensitive stomach, of getting drowsy mid-afternoon, of unbuttoning my jeans after meals, and of feeling guilty and grossed out when I thought about what my dinner really was. I was now healthier, leaner, more energetic, and just overall happier.
The best and most surprising part of going vegan was that I absolutely loved it!
I started to document my recipes so I could make them again and again. At first, I was just taking quick snaps on my phone and jotted down the ingredients, but I decided a better plan was to (not so subtly) woo my friends, family, and anyone who would listen to the greener side by sharing my recipes online. And so this blog, It Doesn’t Taste Like Chicken, was born. Hot dang, it worked! Friends, family, vegans, vegetarians, and omnivores from across the world were making my recipes — and raving about them!
I think I’m like a dog. Pat me on the head and tell me I’m good and I will love you forever. As the feedback started rolling in, I really got passionate about blogging. Not only that, but I was helping to show people that a plant-based diet can be totally delicious, easy, doable, and good for you!
I have now made it my full-time career to share all of my totally scrumptious, approachable, comfort food favourites, and everyday meals made vegan. No fussing about, just good ol’ food that everyone will love, vegan or not.
My Recipes
When I first started cooking vegan, I thought I needed lots of fancy and expensive ingredients, that I would be living off of kale and quinoa, and that I would forever feel like I am limited in my choices. As I began experimenting, I realized that none of that was true at all!
What you WON’T find:
- Fake, mock, or “un” recipes. I don’t eat fake food. I eat real food. I don’t think there is any problem with creating familiar tastes and textures, but I call it what it is, and not what it isn’t.
- Fancy-shmancy ingredients. I will introduce to you a few of my favourite ingredients that may seem a little odd, such as nutritional yeast (obsessed!), miso paste, and chia seeds, but these ingredients, along with all of the ingredients I use, can usually be found in your local grocery store. No bizarre flours or difficult to find health foods.
- Scary, hard to make, or bland-looking food. Yes, my recipes are vegan, but I swear you'll barely notice.
What you WILL find:
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Hearty, and satisfying comfort food recipes. These are simple, scrumptious meals for everyone, vegan or not. You’ll find pasta, burgers, burritos, soups, cookies, cupcakes, and all things delicious and familiar.
-
Quick and easy recipes that will fit right into your day-to-day life. Many of these recipes can be whipped up without stress—even after a long day.
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Trustworthy recipes. My friends and family were happy to chow down, and they’ve helped me test my recipes over and over again, so I know these dishes will turn out correctly.
You can check out my recipe index, find me on YouTube or pick up a copy of my cookbook Fuss-Free Vegan or Fast Easy Cheap Vegan. SO MUCH DELICIOUSNESS TO BE HAD.
My fave recipes:
- Crispy Buffalo Cauliflower
- Easy Vegan Jackfruit Tacos
- Tofu Bolognese
- The Ultimate Vegan Breakfast Sandwich
- Vegan Seitan Steak
- Melty Stretchy Gooey Vegan Mozzarella
- Tofu Scramble - Breakfast of Vegan Champions
- The Best Vegan Seitan Burger
- 6 Ingredient Pulled Jackfruit
- The Ultimate Vegan Chocolate Cake
- Vegan Irish Stew
- The Best Vegan Chili Ever
- Vegan Toast Dipping Sauce
- Vegan Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
My fave documentaries:
(A lot of the documentaries can be found on Netflix or YouTube).
- Forks Over Knives
- Seaspiracy
- Earthlings
- Cowspiracy
- What the Health
- The Game Changers
- Vegucated
- Hungry for Change
- Food Matters
- Fat Sick and Nearly Dead
My fave books:
First time visiting It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken? A big, huge, warm welcome from me! If you like what you see, be sure to subscribe so you never miss a fuss-free vegan recipe again.
If you ever have any questions, need any support, or just want to say hi, feel free to drop a comment below here or on any recipe. I do my best to respond to all comments within a few days. 🙂
Bon appetegan!
Sam.
Donna says
I just bought your book "Fast Easy Cheap Vegan" and I love it!
My grandson and I are lactose intollerant so I started trying vegan recipes.
I'm not totally vegan but getting close. Your recipes are practical and tasty! My friends and family loved the chocolate cupcakes with peanut butter frosting and my grandson could eat them! Looking forward to your other book!
Thanks!!!
Sam Turnbull says
Thank you so much Donna!! So thrilled you love it 🙂 Fast Easy Cheap Vegan is my second book, if you haven't checked out my first book yet, I highly recommend that one too. It's called Fuss-Free Vegan 🙂
Brenda says
Hi. I'm not vegan, or even vegetarian. BUT, I have removed meats, other than fish, from my diet. Started practicing one week vegan only, next week vegetarian (can do eggs/cheese), next week Pescatarian, then back full circle. My daughter encouraged me to do more than "veggies only" and turned me on to some of your recipes. Now I'm quite in love with tofu and ancient grains. Thanks for your hard work putting your great recipes into a book. I will be buying it. Brenda
Sam Turnbull says
Thank you so much Brenda! I'm so happy you're enjoying my recipes so much 🙂 I actually have two cookbook now Fuss-Free Vegan and Fast Easy Cheap Vegan 🙂
Beth Ertz says
Hi Sam! I saw your post from a few years ago of your adorable Chickpea and the vegan transition! I was thrilled and wonder how Chickpea is doing now as a vegan? And of course would love to hear anyone else's experiences with their vegan dogs. A longtime vegan myself, I am slowly transitioning my little Teddy, a shaggy black shih tzu/dachshund mix. Thanks so much!!
Sam Turnbull says
Hi Beth! Chickpea is happy and thriving on her vegan diet 🙂 The vet is very happy with her overall health. You can check out Chickpea's Instagram page. We don't post there often, but there is lots of info in the saved highlights about her diet 🙂
Shannavegana says
Buddy Being vegan
Our rescue came to us with a whole host of issues including but not limited to mouth tumours, infected rotting teeth, undecended infected testicles, buldging disc
and chronic diarrhea!!! He was super low energy and literally on death’s door.
After surgeries to correct the tumours, teeth and then surgery to remove testicles from his abdomen, he continued to have chronic diarrhea that represented each time we tried to take him off of metronidazole, the medication prescribed for his diarrhea. I worked with the vet for OVER A YEAR changing his diet many times, to no avail.
Finally, with nothing left to lose, I decided after hearing how well dogs have done on a vegan diet, to start cooking vegan food for him. At the time, we had already gone from vegetarian to vegan, and it was working well for us.
◦ Like an ABSOLUTE MIRACLE, within ONE WEEK, Buddy was a new man!!! It has been around a 3 years cooking vegan for him and NOT ONCE has he had even a loose stool since. He has more energy BY FAR now and is such a playful pup now. I make him all sorts of vegetables, cooked potatoes, carrots, rice, corn, lentils, chickpeas, and sooooo much more. I am sooooo happy!!!
It was a horror show, waking up through the night because he had to go out as well as coming home to a house full of messes. He felt sooooo bad too.
Vegan is AWESOME. Just didn't know it would be so awesome for our baby.
Update.
It is now fours years later. 2022. We started buying VECADO Beneful vegan food for him and he is still FULL of energy and life. Buddy just had a check up exam and the vet reported that he is perfect. Perfect weight..he was waaay under weight before..perfect teeth, perfect blood work results.
We are all soooo happy that we were able to fix Buddy.
He is the sweetest little thing in the world and it gives us all great pleasure to have him on our long hikes up the mountains and running and playing like a healthy dog.
Sandra says
I was reading all about the My Gardyn indoor garden on your latest post and was amazed at this thing, but then… read on their website that they don’t ship to Canada. BUMMER! How could you get your fellow Canadians so excited about a product that isn’t available to them… boo hoo hoo.
Sam Turnbull says
Hi Sandra, as I mentioned in my post, Gardyn will be coming to Canada soon! Stay tuned 🙂
Bonnie says
Sam, I just made the Spiced up BLT Pasta Salad from your new cookbook Fast, Easy, Cheap Vegan. The first recipe that I tried. The Cajun spiced croutons are to die for. You have knocked it out of the park again. Another wonderful cookbook. Thanks!
Sam Turnbull says
Aww wonderful! So thrilled you love it so much. And right!? The croutons are everything!!!
Jeff Fagnan says
I am ditching the crushed red pepper flakes and cayenne pepper. I made the Sweet Korean Lentils. Tastes great but too hot! From now on no more hot spices. I figure I can always add it to the dish AFTER it is already made if I want it a little hot. I do that occasionally any way with TABASCO.
Sam Turnbull says
Absolutely, you can always add spice to taste.
Jeff Fagnan says
We loved the Stole My Heart Of Palm Roll. I tweaked it and used artichoke hearts with sour dough Ciabatta Squares sliced sandwich bread and added a veggie patty to make it like a hamburger.
Sam Turnbull says
Sounds delicious!!
Suzanne Lewis says
I just finished reading our story. My husband and I also watched Vegucated in 2013, had to self-reflect and went vegan that day (I also grew up in a hunter family with heads on the wall).
Like you, I also have grown an appreciation for cooking and food that I never had before. When I was forced into the kitchen, to use spices and try new foods, a whole world opened up that I didn't realize I was missing out on. When people asked me if I feel limited in my food choices because I'm vegan, I honestly answer that I eat from a much broader spectrum and am enriched by the change.
Keep up the great work!
Sam Turnbull says
Aww that's wonderful Suzanne! We have such a similar story 🙂
Shannavegana says
Ditto for me. Farming, hunting, fishing family. The AWAKENING and now I am obsessed with cooking!!! I actually LOVE TO COOK now. Vegan hugs. Shanna. ❤️❤️❤️❤️
Sam Turnbull says
So many benefits!! 🙂
Melanie says
So my husband and I just watched The Game Changers!
We are realizing that, he with elevated cholesterol and me, with elevated blood pressure, should be vegan!
And I am chuckling to myself reading your story, because right now I am thinking-well s$&t- I don’t want to be vegan.
Thankfully I found your blog and cookbooks. Yay! I am now excited about getting started with food that seems normal. This is what I had hoped to find but didn’t expect to!
I’ll let you know how it goes!
Sam Turnbull says
That's wonderful Melanie!! Trust me when I say that you can relate to a LOT of vegans. Most of us go vegan because of the animals or our health, not because we want to make our lives more difficult! Haha. That said, I always say it's about breaking old habits and replacing them with new ones. It might be a big change at first, but once you get the swing of things, it's just as easy to eat and cook vegan as it is any other diet 🙂
Melanie says
So its been 10 days.
What I thought would be a slow transition has been a rather quick one.
I purchased both of your books, and we are loving the recipes so much and we are both feeling so energized that we are pretty much all the way vegan.
Yay!
There are still a few tweaks we have to make but we are very happy with this lifestyle change.
Funny what a well timed documentary and super motivated and feisty cookbook author can help you accomplish!
Keep doing what you do!
And thanks!!
Sam Turnbull says
Wonderful, Melanie! I'm so happy you're finding the transition easy and enjoyable! 🙂
Carmela LaCommare says
Just got the new book today! So excited to try all the good recipes this weekend.
Sam Turnbull says
Amazing! I hope you love it 🙂
Jeff Fagnan says
We like the Fab Fried Rice-like its from a Chinese restaurant. Another person liked the cashew nut chicken from this restaurant a while ago. So I'm making the Baked Tofu Bites which also tastes like chicken as you have said to add to this recipe.
Sam Turnbull says
Sounds great!
Barbara says
Hi, Sam. I have been vegan for a little over a year, diet-wise, though not yet transitioned on the extras (cleaning products, etc.) - I'm working on it. I'm a cookbook-aholic, have a zillion recipes bookmarked, yet often find myself reaching for a frozen dinner. My biggest challenges are that I work long hours (so I need to prep on the weekends) and I'm cooking for 1 (have you ever eaten curry 6 nights in a row? Ugh). Any suggestions for well-balanced, quick, 1-2 portion recipes?
Sam Turnbull says
Hi Barbara, I definitely recommend doing some batch cooking on the weekend and freezing individual portions of food. Also it's a great idea to learn a few quick vegan recipes that you enjoy that only take a few minutes to whip up. Hopefully my new book Fast Easy Cheap Vegan will help you. Every recipe takes 30 minutes or less to prepare and many of them are freezer friendly. 🙂
Joslin says
Hi Sam! I know you are super busy. So thanks for your time! I have a few questions that I am asking famous vegan bloggers for an article I am writing. I would love your input. Let me know, thanks. There are ten questions...
Jeff Fagnan says
Have you considered coming up with a potato chip recipe? I'm looking at YouTube videos, but I would like your input?
Jeff Fagnan says
We like the Crispy Crunchy Roasted Chickpeas. Still like the Frito-Lay Classic potato chips better. Too bad they are unhealthy so we have them only once a year at the BBQ. We just got our food processor from Amazon. So many recipes where it is needed!
Linda says
Hi Sam,
I am so happy to have been introduced to you and your recipes. my first one was the easy sticky teriyaki tofu and i fell in love! I have been wanting to eat less and less meat products for a long time now but find it stressful when married to a meat lover. How did you go vegan when your whole family are meat eaters? I cant think of what im actually eating when i eat meat, it just grosses me out. what stops me from going vegan or vegetarian is how will icook for my family but not eat the meat? And what will others think? How did you navigate all this when you made the switch?
Sam Turnbull says
Hi Linda, when I went vegan I lived alone (not with my family) so that definitely helped make it easier as I didn't have anyone to worry about unless I was visiting family or friends. That said I know lots of people who have only one vegan family member. I've heard that what helps is if you make an all vegan meal, and then tell the meat eaters that they can prepare and add any animal products they like. So for example, make pasta with tomato sauce, and if they want to add meat or cheese that's up to them. I also recommend joining some vegan communities. There are many online on facebook and most cities will also have them. This can be helpful so you can get advice and support from people in similar situations. Hope that helps!
Jeff Fagnan says
Yes, this really is vegan cheesecake. It is good. I had trouble making the crust stay together using the one quarter cup of vegan butter. So instead of adding more butter I mashed a banana and worked it into the crumbs, but even though it made the crust stay together for baking the crust seemed too dense when eating. Next time I'll try using a third or half of a banana.
elizabeth shipley says
I enjoyed your story very much. I read Diet for a small planet by Francis M Lappe in the early 70's and decided right then and there, I wanted to change my eating habits and that of my family which I did. later on I read an article in Organic gardening and farming about the benefits of tempeh and when I found a starter kit at the local E. Lansing food coop with the soybeans, starter and culture I gave it to my late husband who started making tempeh in a small oven. We later started a business called Betsy's Tempeh in the mid 80's and were on the market for 9 1/2 years until we retired. Since I am alone now and only cook for myself during this pandemic, it's always fun and interesting to read other people's stories. I am in the process of writing a story about how we built our food processing building from the ground up and when and how we made the decision that this was a way forward, instead of just talking about what we could do, we actually put our total savings into this project and never looked back.
Sam Turnbull says
That's wonderful elizabeth! Welcome to my blog 🙂
Sarah K Newcombe says
wow thats a great story! Good luck with your book!
Hanna Pierce says
Hey,
I am so excited to try your mac and cheese recipe! One thing I am really struggling with is eggs! I love savory breakfast and no matter how ita made I really dislike tofu scrambles.... any suggestions for a savory, satisfying breakfast that doesn't take ages to make
Sam Turnbull says
Hi Hanna, yes I do! You MUST try my vegan egg yolk. It is to die for. Make sure you get the black salt that is also called kala namak (not Himalayan or any other kind of salt). 🙂
Conchur says
Hi Sam,
Like you I was an avowed meat eater and loved nothing more than a rare steak!
A switch suddenly flipped in me January of last year and I became vegetarian and haven't looked back since.
Unfortunately, the first thing I noticed is that I dramatically upped my cheese intake!
Do you have any advice on dumping the cheese and going plant based?
Also your recipes look really tasty, can't wait to try some!
Sam Turnbull says
Hi Conchur, I totally get you, I used to be addicted to cheese too. I recommend watching this lecture that explains how cheese is actually physically addictive. I suggest giving it up for good. It sounds difficult, but after about 30 days you will lose the cravings and (if you're like me) you will actually begin to find it really unappealing. The smell grosses me out so much now! I also recommend trying some of my creamier recipes which will help satisfy the cravings. Hope that helps!
Erin Neu says
Neal Barnard is well known as a cherry picker of data and promoter of pseudoscience.