Hi guys! Hope you had a fantastic Christmas and you are enjoying a peaceful New Year Day. Today, I want to share with you some of the foods I prepare that are super delicious and easy to make. Of course, they are 100% vegan.
BREAKFAST
For breakfast, I generally have fruit (whatever is in season). Other times I have toast with cashew butter (Yum!) and an apple or a smoothie with just water, ice and fruits. My favorite combination is banana-mango. It’s refreshing and absolutely scrumptious!
Another thing I like to eat for breakfast is oats. I know, you might not be fond of them. But let me tell you that once you realize how wonderful oats are and its many health benefits, you will be eating them more often! They are incredibly nutritious. They are super rich in anti-oxidants and they can even lower bad cholesterol.
In the picture below, I cooked quick oats with just simple water (You can substitute the water with any plant-based milk such as soy, rice or almond). I added some sultanas (You can add also raisins), a sliced banana and sprinkled some cinnamon on top. It was wonderful!
SNACK
I don’t really eat mid-morning snacks because I eat a big breakfast but if I am hungry I always carry with me fruits such as watermelon, grapes or sliced pineapples or a granola bar.
However, if I am really hungry and I know I might eat lunch very late, I prepare these mouth-watering oil-free rice and spinach mini-patties. You can even shape them in balls instead of patties before baking. You can also have it with a delicious mango sauce (Hmmm… this is giving me an idea!).
I purposely baked it to show deep frying is not necessarily to enjoy an appetizing snack. It is a great idea for leftover cooked rice. And they are oh so simple to make folks.
VEGAN SPINACH MINI-PATTIES
For this recipe you need 2 cups of rice (cold if possible), just put it in a big bowl. Chop finely 1 cup of spinach, ½ medium onion, 2 cloves of garlic (saute with no oil in a pan for a few minutes until the onions and the garlic are cooked, you can add a drop of water). One medium cooked, mashed potato.
Add all these ingredients on top of your rice and mix thoroughly. Add your favorite seasonings such as salt, pepper, chili powder and any other you prefer. I like it a little spicy. Add 2 tablespoons of chickpeas flour or regular flour (this step is optional) but will help to bind all the ingredients.
Shape patties or balls and place them in a greased baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit until bottom is golden, turn them and cook them a little more and boila! You have a perfect snack, can be eaten hot or at room temperature.
LUNCH
For lunch or dinner, there are so many options but I have two quick options that can be made ahead of time.
Raise your hand if you like Mexican food! I knew it, who doesn’t enjoy some savory tacos? Oh my goodness, they are so irresistible, I can eat quite a few of these and they are so fast to make.
Most large grocery stores carry taco shells so you will not have a problem in finding them.
For this recipe you just need a few ingredients that you probably have around your fridge and pantry.
VEGAN TACOS
First, chop very small your favorite taco toppings such as lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers and corn. If you have any hard vegan cheese you can also grate it.
Your filling will be red kidney beans. I have two ways to make them so will tell you both. If you are using a can, just open the can and drain all the water. Put it in a small bowl and season the beans with taco seasoning or chili powder.
Warm your taco shells in the microwave for around 20 seconds (Or follow package directions) and add a bit of your beans, then add the lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers and corn and top it with your favorite salsa and sprinkle some nutritional yeast for a “cheesy” flavor.
TIPS
Now, I am all about money saving so please don’t think you have to buy any imported salsas; there are local ones that are very tasty and will work out perfectly for this recipe.
Another way, I cook the beans is by pressure cooking them until they are extremely soft, then I blend them with a little water until they are super smooth.
Then I season them to create my own “refried” beans, they can also be used similarly to hummus if you are going to use wraps. They taste as good as they look!
OH LENTILS!
If there is one thing we eat a lot in my family are lentil peas, they are a super tasty staple at my home and they are so easy to cook and super-fast to digest.
In the picture below, you are seeing brown lentils on top of a bed of simple vegetables, topped with sautéed spinach and garlic and one of those rice-spinach mini-patties, 100% oil free. The lentils were pressured cooked until very soft and then seasoned with oregano, garlic, ginger and cayenne pepper. Delightful!
DINNER
I eat dinner very early compared to most people so I don’t really eat anything much between lunch and dinner but if I am hungry I might eat some fruit or a smoothie.
For dinner, I have for you a succulent vegan lasagna with a nice, fresh green salad. Because this dish is quite rich I make it on rare occasions but my goodness, it is so tasty.
For this dish, you need lasagna noodles, any plant-based milk, flour, vegan margarine, spinach or bok choy, carrots and pasta sauce.
LASAGNA
Start by cooking your lasagna noodles until they are very tender. Drain and set aside until they are very cool and manageable to the touch.
In a pot, put boy choy leaves only (I regularly use two bundles) and cook them until they are super soft. When they are done, drain until they are completely cool.
Squeeze all the water from the spinach/bok choy and chopped very finely. In a pan, add a little water and put a chopped onion to sauté, when the onion starts to get a little brown, add one small grated carrot, mix everything up and add your chopped spinach.
Mix thoroughly and set aside. In a medium pan, we will make a béchamel sauce that will go perfectly with these veggies. The key for a perfect béchamel sauce is to use a whisk instead of a spoon and don’t let your sauce unattended.
In a medium low heat, add three tablespoons of vegan margarine until completely melted, then add three tablespoons of flour and mix with your whisk until you form a paste.
Then add your plant-based milk slowly and keep mixing until you have a nice sauce, not to runny not to thick. When you reach the desire consistency, turn off.
Add all your vegetables to the sauce and mix. Season with salt and pepper.
In a square dish pan, put a little pasta sauce and spread. Then add your lasagna noodles, spread some pasta sauce and then add your spinach and sauce mixture. Keep doing this until it finishes. The top has to be the filling. Bake until golden brown. You can serve it with a nice salad.
Hope you enjoyed some food ideas I had for you today, if you have any questions or you want to say something about these goodies, please make sure to leave a comment.
