Being a vegetarian doesn’t mean eating beans and tofu all the time. "That can get pretty boring," said Alyssa Moreau, a private chef for those who have special dietary considerations, and a vegetarian who loves to cook.

Nergy Foods Egg Replacer: a powdered egg replacer; a mere 1 1/2 teaspoon and 2 tablespoons of water "make" an egg.

Moreau uses a wide variety of products — some available in supermarkets, most available in health food stores — that imitate "real" foods such as chicken, meat and cheese with every bit as much protein but without the fat and cholesterol found in animal-based foods. Most are derivatives of soy, made to look, taste and feel like their natural counterparts.

"I deal with soy, dairy, wheat and gluten allergies; diabetes, heart disease, cancer and blood pressure issues. I cook low-fat, low-sugar, vegetarian — all of it pretty tasty," Moreau said.

Take Wheat Meat, for example. It’s a frozen gluten product that’s high in protein and low in fat. "You can shred wheat meat like chicken and use it in pot pies or ‘chicken’ salad," said Moreau as she pulled the product into small pieces.

Moreau’s experimentation stems from her own dietary needs and her love of cooking.

"I was allergic to soy, eggs, dairy, mushrooms, sugar; I had to change my diet dramatically," she explained. "In turn, I wanted to help people and teach them how to cook. When people are open to it, I still like to offer tips on making the right choices."

Vege Smoked Chicken: texturized vegetable protein seasoned and shaped to taste like chicken; 82 calories per serving with 2 grams of fat.

Frozen fish: a fish-cake-like product made of texturized vegetable protein that has the flavor and mouth feel of butterfish.

Smoked tofu: a compressed tofu that is seasoned and smoked to give it a savory flavor.

Vege Smoked Duck: a "duck"-shaped slab of texturized vegetable protein (made from defatted soy flour) that amazingly tastes and has the mouth feel of duck meat with 82 calories and 2 grams of fat.

With partner Sharon DuBois, Moreau started Divine Creations, a company providing in-home cooking services. Along with a half-dozen others, Moreau finds herself planning menus, shopping and cooking all week for others.

"I work with 10 clients a week and cook three to six dishes a week for each of them," Moreau said. "They have each dish twice. Everyone’s tastes are different.

"I work with the family to make sure there are things everyone can eat. I have one client who is diabetic; I have to tailor meals for him that will also be liked by his wife and three kids who have regular tastes."

Moreau’s challenge is to take local dishes like beef tomato and asparagus beef with black beans and convert them to vegetarian, healthy dishes. "If you haven’t been a vegetarian all your life, you want to re-create the flavors you miss. I used to eat local food, so I know what they should taste like," she said.

Some of Moreau’s preparations are available at Kokua Market, where she cooks in the deli once a week. "There are endless recipes," Moreau said with an enthusiastic smile. "I can’t get to them all, but it’s a lot of fun to test them and go back and make the ones that are good."

Here are some products Moreau uses that she especially likes for their flavor and texture:

Galaxy Foods tofu cheese: "It’s a nondairy cheese that comes shredded; it melts well and works well on tacos, pizza, enchiladas and fajitas," Moreau said. Available at Star Mo‘ili‘ili and Kahala.

Vegetarian Stir-Fry Sauce: a mushroom-based sauce made by Lee Kum Kee that works well in lots of dishes; available at C&C Vege Health Food.

Braggs: a liquid seasoning made of soy that is not fermented. "It’s lower in salt than low-salt soy," Moreau said. "I like to steam vegetables with tofu and season it with Braggs."

Mrs. Cheng’s Soy Cheese: a flavored tofu, denser than firm tofu, seasoned with soy and anise; good in stir-fries. Available in some supermarkets and at health food stores.

Vegetarian Stir-Fry Sauce: a mushroom-based sauce made by Lee Kum Kee that works well in lots of dishes with 25 calories and 740 milligrams of sodium per tablespoon.

Stevia: "A natural sugar that doesn’t affect blood sugar levels," Moreau explained. "It’s not an FDA-approved product and is usually found in the supplement section of a health food store. It comes in liquid and powdered form and it is not affected by heat, so you can use it in baking."

Nergy Foods Egg Replacer: a powdered egg replacer; use 1 1/2 teaspoons and 2 tablespoons of water to "make" an egg. "I use it in baked goods with no problem," Moreau said.

Soy milk: "I like the Silk soy milk that’s refrigerated. It has good flavor and more of a milk consistency. You can add a little Stevia over cereal."

Photos by Richard Ambo • The Honolulu Advertiser

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