More Vegan Recipes!

Photo by Dan Counsell at Unsplash.

 

Volunteer Prerna is back this week, with more delicious veggie and vegan recipes! This time, a focus on snacks and evening meals - but first, some facts about vegetarian diets!

 

There are approximately 1.5 billion vegetarians worldwide. The first description of the vegetarian diet dates back to 800 BC and is associated with ancient Indian Buddhism and Hinduism, of which "Ahimsa", or harmlessness, is a powerful element. Today, people who follow the ancient Indian lifestyle and customs, like yoga, often also prefer a botanical diet. For example, 30% of British yoga teachers eat a plant-based diet, which is 25 times the proportion of the general UK public. [1]

 

A vegetarian lifestyle has a positive impact on physical and mental health, according to studies. [2] A longitudinal study of German (n = 2.991) and Chinese students (n = 12.405) found that people with a healthy lifestyle were more psychologically healthy than those with a less healthy lifestyle, with higher happiness and fewer mental health problems. Lifestyle factors such as low body mass index, high frequency of physical and mental activity, smoking cessation, and regular social rhythms were positive predictors of mental health [3].

 

While vegetarian diets have shown a lack of several nutrients compared to meat diets (such as vitamin B12), they have been found to have fewer nutritional deficiencies in antioxidant vitamins (such as vitamin E). [4]

Hopefully, these studies help to establish that being vegan is not only good for the planet but can also be great for your own wellbeing - let’s dive in with the recipes!

SNACKS

Roasted Spicy Chickpeas

Ingredients: 1 x 400g can chickpeas (drained), 2 tsp smoked paprika, 2 tsp ground cumin, 2 tsp ground coriander, ½ tsp cayenne pepper, thyme, black pepper, oil, salt.

Recipe: Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 4. Tip the chickpeas into a bowl and add the rapeseed oil, smoked paprika, cumin and coriander along with a big pinch of salt and black pepper. Mix well until the chickpeas are well coated, then tip out onto a baking tray and bake for 35 mins, moving them round the tray halfway through so they dry out evenly and are crunchy. Leave to cool, then add some thyme and voila. Your simple snacks are ready!

Chana Chat (Chickpea Salad)

You might start to think I’m obsessed with chickpeas, but they’re super versatile and healthy! Chana chat is a tangy and soft salad, filled with vital nutrients. Let’s begin!

Ingredients: 1 x 400g can chickpeas (drained), ½ tsp salt, 1 medium sized onion (finely chopped), 1 medium sized tomato (finely chopped), 1 green chili pepper (finely chopped, optional), 1 tsp roasted cumin powder, 1 tsp Kashmiri red chili powder or paprika, 1 tsp chat masala, ½ tsp dry mango powder, 2 to 3 tbsp chopped coriander, 1 to 2 tsp lemon juice, salt, black salt.

Recipe: Rinse, peel and then finely chop 1 medium onion, 1 medium tomato and 1 green chili. Also rinse and then finely chop some coriander leaves. Keep aside. Put the chickpeas in a bowl, add all the spices mentioned, mix very well so the spice powders and salts coat the chickpeas. Add the onions, tomatoes, chilies and coriander, add 1 to 2 teaspoons lemon juice. Again, mix very well. Check the taste; you can add salt, chat masala, red chilli powder, green chillies, or more lemon juice if you want. Serve chana chat in a bowl instantly. To serve, garnish with some coriander leaves. 

Korean fried cauliflower

Ingredients: 2 quarts vegetable oil, 1/2 cup corn-starch, 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, 1/3 cup toasted sesame seeds (plus more for garnish), 1/3 cup unsweetened coconut flakes, Kosher salt, 1/2 cup cold water, 1 head cauliflower, cut into 1-inch florets, 1 tbsp sweet soy sauce, or sweet and spicy chilli sauce.

Recipe: Preheat oil to 170°C in a large wok, Dutch oven, or deep fryer. Combine corn-starch, flour, baking powder, 2 teaspoons kosher salt, sesame seeds, and coconut in a large bowl and whisk until homogenous. Add water and whisk until a smooth batter is formed, adding up to 2 tablespoons more water if the batter is too thick. It should have the consistency of thin paint and fall off of the whisk in thin ribbons that instantly disappear as they hit the surface of the batter in the bowl. Add the cauliflower to the batter. Working one at a time, lift one piece and allow the excess batter to drip off. Carefully lower into hot oil. Repeat with remaining cauliflower until wok or fryer is full. Do not crowd the pan. (You'll be able to fit about half of the cauliflower in each batch). Fry, using a metal spider or slotted spatula to rotate and agitate pieces as they cook until evenly golden brown and crisp all over, about 6 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and season immediately with salt. Keep warm while you fry the remaining cauliflower. Toss fried cauliflower with sauce and serve immediately, sprinkled with extra sesame seeds and spring onions.

Vegan loaded nachos

Ingredients: 1 1/2 quarts vegetable, 16 fresh corn tortillas, stacked in groups of 8 and cut into 6 wedges each, 2 cups bean chilli, 2 cups spicy vegan refried beans/ beans, 2 cups vegan nacho cheese, 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed, 1 1/2 cups salsa, 1/2 cup quartered grape or cherry tomatoes, 1/2 cup sliced black olives, 1/2 cup sliced pickled jalapeños, 1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh radishes, 1/4 cup thinly sliced spring onions, 1/3 cup thinly sliced white onion, 1/4 cup fresh coriander, 1 cup guacamole.

Recipe: Adjust oven rack to centre position and preheat oven to 190°C. Heat oil in a large wok or Dutch oven to 170°C. Add 1/3 or tortilla chips and cook, agitating and flipping them constantly with a wire mesh spider until bubbles slow to a trickle and chips are pale golden brown, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined bowl, season with salt, and toss. Allow to drain for 30 seconds, then transfer to a second bowl. Repeat with remaining chips in two more batches, Layer 1/3 of chips in the bottom of a large cast iron skillet or baking dish. Dollop with 1/3 of chilli and 1/3 of refried beans. Drizzle with 1/3 of cheese sauce, then sprinkle with half of black beans. Layer with another 1/3 of chips. Dollop with 1/3 of chilli and 1/3 of refried beans. Drizzle with 1/3 of cheese sauce, then sprinkle with the remaining half of black beans. Layer with remaining 1/3 of chips. Dollop with 1/3 of chilli and 1/3 of refried beans. Drizzle with 1/3 of cheese sauce. Transfer to the oven and bake until the edges of the chips are well browned, about 5 minutes. Remove from the oven. Top with half of salsa, tomatoes, olives, jalapeños, radishes, spring onions, onions, coriander, and a big dollop of guacamole. Serve immediately with remaining salsa and guacamole on the side.

DINNER

Spicy cauliflower and halloumi rice

Ingredients: 1 small head cauliflower (500g) broken into medium florets, 150g baby spinach, 1 tbsp rapeseed oil, 1 red onion, sliced, 120g halloumi, cut into cubes, 1 garlic clove, crushed, 1 thumb-sized piece ginger (finely grated), 1 tsp ground turmeric, 1 tbsp medium curry powder, 2 x 250g pouches brown basmati rice, 1 red chilli pepper (finely sliced).

 

Recipe: Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and cook the cauliflower for 5 mins over a high heat, adding the spinach for the final 2 mins. Drain and set aside. Heat the oil in a large frying pan or shallow casserole dish and fry the onion over a medium heat for 5 mins. Turn up the heat, add the halloumi, cook for a further 5 mins, then add the garlic, ginger, turmeric and curry powder, and cook for 1 min more. Stir through the rice, cauliflower and spinach to warm everything through, adding 1 tbsp water if it looks a little dry. Season and scatter over the chilli.

 

Creamy Vegan One Pot Pasta (Asian Style)

Ingredients: pasta, one courgette, frozen peas, one red pepper, cherry tomatoes, one onion, two cloves of garlic, coconut milk, diced tomatoes, red curry paste (make sure it’s vegan!).

 

Recipe: Heat some oil in a large pot and sauté the onion for about 2-3 minutes. Then add the garlic, courgette, and the red pepper and cook for 2 more minutes. Add the remaining ingredients except for the cherry tomatoes. Cook for about 15 minutes (uncovered and on medium heat), then add the cherry tomatoes and cook for two more minutes. Season with salt and black pepper. Enjoy!

 

Quinoa Burrito Bowls with Fajita Veggies

Ingredients: 1 red onion (thinly sliced), 1 yellow or orange pepper, (sliced), 1 red pepper (sliced), 1 200g tin sweetcorn, 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 1/2 teaspoons fajita or taco seasoning, 2 cups cooked or canned black beans, 1/4 teaspoon cumin, 2 cups cooked quinoa, 1 head lettuce, (sliced), 1 cup guacamole, 1 cup prepared salsa, 1 lime cut into wedges (for serving), fresh coriander (chopped, for serving), tortilla chips or small tortillas for serving (optional)

 

Recipe: Preheat the oven to 220°C. Place the peppers, onions, and sweetcorn on a baking tray. Coat with olive oil and fajita seasoning. Roast for 15 minutes or until tender and browned in areas. Meanwhile, heat the beans and cumin in a small saucepan. In large, shallow bowls, make beds of quinoa. Top with the peppers, onions, corn, beans and lettuce. Top with guacamole and salsa. Garnish with lime wedges for squeezing and coriander. Serve with chips or tortillas, if desired. 

 

Easy Homemade Thai Green Curry

Ingredients: 1/2 cup fresh coriander (stem and leaves) 2 jalapeños (remove seeds) 1 medium onion (coarsely chopped) 2 tbsp lemongrass (pale yellow part of two stalks only, or zest and juice of one lime) 2 tbsp olive oil, 3 inches ginger (peeled and coarsely chopped ) 6-8 cloves garlic, 2 tbsp curry powder, 1 tsp black pepper, green curry paste, 1/2 tsp salt, 3 tbsp lemon juice, 230ml coconut milk, 4 cups cooked rice, 140g mushrooms, 1 head of broccoli, 250g tofu (cubed).

Recipe: In a food processor, combine all powder ingredients and olive oil into a paste. Heat remaining 1 tbsp oil in a skillet, add mushroom and sauté until water evaporates, remove to a plate. Add tofu and broccoli, then sauté until tofu is slightly browned from all sides. Remove to the plate with the mushrooms. Heat a dry skillet, add paste and sauté for 2 minutes or until the oil shows on the sides. Add curry powder, salt and pepper and sauté for 30 seconds. Add coconut milk with 1/2 cup water, cook for 2-3 more minutes or until the sauce thickens and comes together. Taste and adjust salt, pepper and lemon juice. I added about 3/4 of the green curry paste. In 4 bowls, add rice, top with a portion of mushrooms, broccoli, and tofu. Ladle curry sauce on top. Garnish with toasted peanuts. Serve and enjoy!

 

And that’s it! Give us a shout in the comments or on Facebook or Instagram if you try any of Prerna's recipes!

 

Author: Prerna

 

References:

[1] Leahy, E., Lyons, S. and Tol, R.S., 2010. An estimate of the number of vegetarians in the world (No. 340). ESRI working paper.

 
[2] Mace, J.L. and McCulloch, S.P., 2020. Yoga, ahimsa and consuming animals: UK yoga teachers’ beliefs about farmed animals and attitudes to plant-based diets. Animals, 10(3), p.480.

 
[3] Velten, J., Bieda, A., Scholten, S., Wannemüller, A. and Margraf, J., 2018. Lifestyle choices and mental health: a longitudinal survey with German and Chinese students. BMC Public Health, 18(1), pp.1-15.

 
[4] Allès, B., Baudry, J., Méjean, C., Touvier, M., Péneau, S., Hercberg, S. and Kesse-Guyot, E., 2017. Comparison of sociodemographic and nutritional characteristics between self-reported vegetarians, vegans, and meat-eaters from the NutriNet-Santé study. Nutrients, 9(9), p.1023.