Want to move to a plant rich diet? We’re here to help…
It’s the start of a New Year – a time for fresh starts and new resolutions!
Perversely we’re also still in a time of short days, dark evenings, cold temperatures, and limited energy – a time when food has a huge role to play in offering comfort and familiarity. Plus most of us are now skint. So you might think this would be a challenging time to take on something like Veganuary!
However vegetables and pulses are cheap and if you avoid ultra processed meat/dairy substitutes, you’ll find that you can put satisfying, comforting food on the table that will actually save you money.
Veganuary is a excellent way of immersing yourself in a vegan diet, but it may not be for everyone. Do it your way, whatever you feel up to taking on. It doesn’t have to be all or nothing.
There are huge positives in moving towards a plant rich diet and unless you’re vegan or vegetarian on principle, a bit of meat or dairy here and there is not going to spoil the overall benefits of being more plant-based.
Every meatless meal you have is better for your health and brings you closer to a sustainable lifestyle. And if you can’t bear to think of giving up meat/dairy completely, it sure will make things easier for you initially, if you can think of them as treats to have now and then, rather than something you have to say goodbye to for a month, or forever. Be kind to yourself but don’t give up. We’re here to help.
We asked our volunteers to send us their favourite vegan, vegetarian and lo-meat recipes so we could share them with you this month. We had five stipulations for the recipes – they had to be:
- Delicious – so good you’ll want to make them again and again
- Good value for money
- No fancy ingredients you couldn’t find at Asda or Nisa
- Quick and easy to make
- Seasonal – (we’ll do a separate blog on plant-rich summer meals later in the year)
We’re going to be sharing 8 recipes each week with a mix of vegan, vegetarian and lo-meat but of course you can follow any of the links below to find more recipes from the sources we’ve suggested, if they strike a chord with you.
We’ve found the best sources of free vegan/veggie recipes to be
- Meera Sodha in The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/food/series/meera-sodha-recipes and
- Riverford Farm’s website https://www.riverford.co.uk/recipes/seasonal/winter but there are obviously many more, including
- Hugh F-W of River Cottage https://rivercottage.net/recipes/,
- Rukmini Iyer in the Happy Foodie https://thehappyfoodie.co.uk/articles/10-one-tin-vegan-recipes-from-rukmini-iyer-to-try-this-veganuary/ and the
- New York Times recipe section https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes – sadly behind a paywall – but perhaps worth subscribing for a month to collect their excellent recipes.
So here’s goes for the first eight recipes to see you through week one!
Top tip: invest in some smoked paprika and rose harissa. (I know we said no fancy ingredients but these are available from most supermarkets and are a lot cheaper than meat!)
Cheesy Spicy Black Bean Bake from Ali Slagle. This is the easiest most delicious spicy cheesy bake you’ll ever find. Hardly counts as cooking. As someone said in the comments – it is literally life-changing! Gluten-free and vegetarian but could be vegan if made with vegan cheese. Start to finish 15 minutes.
Chermoula Aubergines by Yotam Ottolenghi. Chermoula is a powerful North African paste that is brushed over fish and vegetables giving them the perfumed aroma of preserved lemon, mixed with heat and spice. Swap bulgur for quinoa if you need to be gluten-free, use plant-based yoghurt to make the dish vegan. If pushed for time, use a jar of chermoula, harissa, zhoug or any spice paste rather than make your own. 20 minutes prep, 40 mins cook (less if you use a bought paste).
Buffalo Cauliflower by Pierce Abernathy. There are many ways to spice up a cauliflower, but this recipe stands out. The tangy buffalo sauce and tender roasted cauliflower make a fantastic plant-based appetiser or main dish. Good in tacos with crispy slaw and creamy avocado. Gluten-free and vegan (if you use plant-based milk). 10 mins prep, 40 mins cook.
Sweet Potato and Lentil Bake a wonderfully warming winter treat from Nigel Slater. As he says of this time of year ‘More than ever before I want to open the oven door and find my old crock pot full to the brim with beans and spices baking sweetly’. Vegan and gluten-free. 50 mins prep, 40 mins cook but so worth it and makes great leftovers!
Fried Tofu Spinach Sambal from Meera Sodha. This is such an easy and tasty meal especially if you use sambal from a jar rather than making your own from scratch. A game changer for those who are doubtful about tofu (you can use an air fryer if you have one). Vegan, and gluten-free if you sub in potato flour instead of cornflour. 10 mins prep, 40 mins cook, much less if you use a bought sauce.
The Best Damn Vegan Chilli from Deirdre Gilna. This truly is the best damn vegan chilli, with a smoky rich gravy and a deep layered savoury flavour from Guinness, cocoa, and a slight hint of coffee. With tender beans and chunks of vegetables, it’s perfect served over rice with some vegan yoghurt. Gluten-free too! 15 mins prep, 30 mins cook.
Rose Harissa Chickpea and Chard Stew by Meera Sodha. As Meera says ‘Rose harissa is the equivalent of a friend who always brings the party, no matter the situation. The sweet smoke and spiciness of rose harissa gets store-cupboard staples dancing to a great rhythm with very little fuss, and lots of wonderful flavour.’ Vegan and gluten-free (depending on your harissa). 15 mins prep, 45 mins cook.
Fritatta (contains eggs and you can add a smidge of fried pancetta or chorizo if you wish). This is a Man Made Meals recipe pulled together from a number of sources and set out in full below. Vegetarian/lo-meat and gluten-free. 5-10 mins prep, 20 mins cook.
1 Standard brown onion
2 tbs Olive oil
250g Cooked potatoes, sweet potatoes, parsnips or squash (or a mixture)
100g Leftover cooked kale, cavolo nero or Savoy cabbage (or a mixture)
1 Handful of parsley and/or chives
Grind Pepper
80g Grated cheddar, smoked, or blue cheese
First prepare the vegetables.
• Chop the onion into a medium dice.
• Chop the potatoes into bite-sized chunks
• Roughly chop the greens and herbs
Next the eggs
• Tip the eggs into a large bowl and season with the salt and pepper. Add the cheese. Beat with a fork for about a minute until well mixed
Now, fry the onions and potatoes.
• Put 1 tbs of oil in the saucepan and set over a medium heat
• Once the oil is hot, add the chopped onion and turn the heat to medium.
• After about five minutes add the potatoes and cook for a further 3-5 mins.
• By this time the onion should be soft and translucent.
• Tip the potato and onion mixture, along with the chopped greens and herbs into the eggs and mix well.
Finally, finish the cooking.
• Put the frying pan back on the heat with the remaining tbsp oil, then add the egg mixture, swirling so it sets on the base, then cover with a lid and cook for about 5-6 minutes over a medium/low heat.
• Take the pan off the heat and remove the lid. Let it cool for a minute or two while you get a large dining plate. Place the plate over the pan and carefully invert so that the frittata drops out on to the plate. Add a splash of oil in the pan and replace on the heat. Then carefully slide the omelette back into the pan and cook for a couple of minutes to finish.
Fritatta Variations
The great thing about frittata is that it can be made with just about anything. Eggs and (usually) cheese are the only fixed ingredients. It is closely related to Spanish tortilla. Many recipes include adding herbs.
• In the winter, it could include leftover roasted vegetables, tinned beans, onions, cooked potatoes, lightly boiled cauliflower, etc. Strong to medium strength cheeses like Parmesan, Cheddar, red Leicester and smoked cheeses work well with these earthy flavours.
• In the spring and early summer, try any mix of new potatoes, spring onions asparagus, peas (frozen are OK), broad beans, fennel, and herbs such as parsley, chervil, tarragon or dill. Add a fresh tasting cheese such as feta, goats cheese or even just a dollop of cottage cheese and a squeeze of lemon.
• In the summer, try courgettes, tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, fennel, green beans, and leafy vegetables such as spinach, chard, etc. Use medium cheeses such as Cheshire, red Leicester, Taleggio (a soft Italian cheese). Parsley, basil, oregano and other soft but flavourful herbs.
• In autumn, roasted squash, tomatoes and potatoes again, green beans, tinned beans, broccoli etc. Rosemary, sage, thyme and parsley all work well here, used in moderation.
Frittata is basically a mixture of eggs, vegetables and cheese that is cooked in a frying pan – a sort of omelette in other words. It can be finished under a grill, in the oven or by simply flipping the omelette over with a plate to brown the other side. It’s really useful if you want a quick meal that can use up any leftovers you have in the fridge – vegetables, old ends of cheese etc. It’s great the next day for a lunchtime snack, as well.
As a guide, use roughly 1 egg and 10-15g of cheese to each 100g of veg. so, for example, if you’re using 100g new potatoes, 100g of spinach, 100g of podded broad beans and half an onion, you’d probably need about 3-4 eggs and 30-50g of cheese – more if it’s a mild cheese and less if strong, like Parmesan. Often a dollop of crème fraîche, cream, or even a dash of milk is added.
Eat it on its own or with some crusty bread and some salad on the side.
Hold tight for next week’s recipes!