Are you taking part in Veganuary or already a fully fledged vegan?? Well If you are I have put together 3 recipes that you might like the look of to brighten up your meals.
I know that personally I can quite often get in a rut of making the same meals if I don’t consciously dedicate time to planning/ researching/ trialling different recipes. We are creatures of habit! Which is lovely and comforting but it can mean that sometimes our diets can lack diversity and chances are will begin to lead to a lack of excitement if we do over- do the same things over and over again!
I must admit my eating since NYE has been varied. I have been quite relaxed with my eating and have tried not to fit myself into a ‘box’ of what type of eater I am. Some days I am vegan, others I am vegetarian and some days I eat exactly what I fancy which has included fish and meat. I do however feel at my happiest when I have a plate full of fresh colourful vegetables and truely feel that these are my happy foods.
So to share some happy foods with you, I have put together 3 recipes that I tried last week that I LOVED! They were all new for me and I really enjoyed trying something different. Even if some (i.e. the sticky chinese cauliflower) didn’t come out quite like I expected! haha.
So… recipe number 1 was the beautiful Buddha Bowl with the not so pretty sticky cauliflower. This meal is a great way of emptying out your fridge and filling your bowl with vibrant colours and tastes. In this bowl I have:
- A base of wholegrains (microwave packet which include wholegrain rice, black rice and quinoa). 1 min to ping half the pack
- Brussels sprouts and seasonal squash roasted with olive oil, salt, pepper and a sprinkle of smoked paprika. Roasted for around 30mins
- Cauliflower leaves cut up and sprinkled with salt. Roasted for around 15mins until crispy
- Cauliflower florets roasted for 10 mins then topped with a sauce which included :soy sauce, maple syrup, 2 garlic cloves, 2tbsp of grated ginger, sirancha chilli sauce and rice vinegar which have been boiled together for around 10 mins to thicken* Then baked again for a few more minutes.
*I also mixed in some cornflower/water to thicken the sauce but it didn’t need it and it went too thick and sticky.. Still tasty though #realtalk. - Edamame beans (from frozen) just boiled for 6mins for some PROTEIN!
- Add avocado. Just because I’m obsessed
Whack it all in a bowl and enjoy the left over roasted veg for days to come!!
Recipe 2 was the mushroom and walnut bolognaise!
I have always been a fan of spaghetti bolognaise and it was always a staple household meal when I was growing up. I also hate to admit that as a child I loved tinned bolognaise more than homemade haha!!
I’ve moved on a little since my tinned meat days and I now have fallen in love with this vegan number. This recipe is easy to make, cheap to do and can be made in bulk to keep you fuelled throughout the week.
To make:
- Slice 1 onion and chop 2 garlic cloves and fry until onions are translucent (I used coconut oil)
- Meanwhile, cut mushrooms (around 300g) in half then slice into thin strips. When onions are ready, add the mushrooms and cook until water (which they release) has reduced
- Add tbsp of tomato puree, 2 tbsp of apple cider vinegar, handful chopped plum tomatoes and 1 tsp of oregano, basil and paprika. Stir until coated!
- Add 2 tins of chopped tomatoes and season. Leave to simmer for around 20mins stirring occasionally
- Chop 100g walnut and 5mins before serving add to the sauce. Hello protein punch!!
Serve in a roasted pepper with cous cous, with some pasta (I used a spinach variety!) or with some butternut squash/ courgette noodles to finish of your vegan delight!
The third vegan recipes is a Re-fried bean, squash and roasted pepper taco! Ole! Creating a meal full of fibre, flavour and goodness doesn’t need to take all night to prepare. It also doesn’t need any skill!
These Mexican tacos can be prepared and on the table within 30minutes (and even quicker if you pre roast the squash!).
- I roasted the squash in olive oil and with smoked paprika, salt and pepper for 30mins.
- For the last 15 mins add the red pepper to the oven to roast
- In the last 8 minutes steam the kale and then heat up the re fried beans
- Mix mayonnaise (dairy free variety if your doing veganuary!) with Chipotle paste
- Heat up wraps (mine were corn so naturally gluten free) annnd use a base of refried beans then add the squash and kale.
- Finish with a drizzle of the Chipotle mayo and a squeeze of lime 👍
Easy peasy, cheap and cheerful!
I hope you get to give these recipes a go sometime soon! Please let me know what you think! Enjoy xx
Great post 🙂
Thanks!! 🙂 🙂