It's so easy to get stuck into a routine of the same or similar recipes, uninspiringly focused around a piece of meat. For me this was particularly due to the high protein diet I had been trying to achieve.
Now that I am working, with much less time to workout, protein should be less of a priority.
To remove myself from the macro mindset I have become so used to I set myself the small challenge of going vegan for one week.
This was a great way to test out some new recipes with new flavours and new influences!
My favourite part.. eating porridge again!
When looking for recipes for the week a great website that somewhat surprised me was Jamie Oliver. He has some really great, tasty vegan recipes that also have the perfect concentration on healthy, wholesome food.
http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/category/special-diets/vegan/
I started the week on an absolute high with a super filling, warming, comfort food - chilli con veggie
Many of the ingredients are simple store cupboard staples - lentils, beans, chopped toms and some easy spices. Its just like a big blanket in a bowl and I can't recommend it enough as winter kicks in.
Next up was a recipe I haven't used in so long but is perfect for the season- Butternut squash soup!Its so sweetly satisfying for a speedy dinner after work - for an added crunch I roast the seeds for 10 minutes while the soup is cooking.
One of my favourite vegan curry recipes is by Deliciously Ella. It has the perfect combination of spices and coconut milk for a creamy, yet wholesome meal. I adapted this recipe to incorporate a larger variety of veg providing the perfect one-pot meal, with leftovers for lunch :) My housemates will vouch for me- the smells in the kitchen that day were just too good!
A couple of weeks ago a vegetarian friend from work introduced me to tofu. I have used it before, but was disappointed with the lack of flavour and texture. Apparently I had just picked up entirely the wrong sort! Smoked tofu ( or Räucher tofu ) is super delicious and a great meat substitute to bulk out some vegan meals.I decided to use it during this week in one of my go-to, speedy, after work meals- stir fry!
Here I used many of the veggies that typically are in my fridge- peppers, mushrooms, carrots, broccoli, spinach.
Sticking with tradition I cooked it in sesame oil which brings such a delicious aroma when heated (something I have grown up associating with stir fry). Simply adding in a splash of soy sauce at the end to bring all the flavours together.
Risotto was one of the meals that really caused me to develop a love of cooking. I have gradually got more and more confident with different combinations that I now rarely use risotto rice at all, favouring more whole grains. This week I decided to use quinoa to make my spinach and mushroom risotto. Again, a really simple recipe with a secret ingredient to add that signature creaminess, without sacrificing veganism- coconut milk! A couple of tablespoons added towards the end brings the dish together and makes it all that much more filling.
I hadn't really planned a meal for Saturday night- very unlike me! But was able to quickly whip something up with the ingredients I had left over. After a quick peruse back through Jamie Oliver's recipes and, using this, came up with a super delicious ratatouille simply served with white beans and extra basil.
For snacks throughout the week I decided to deviate away from the usual ryvitas with peanut butter in favour of something slightly more adventurous - energy balls!They were so scrummy I'm not even sure how I managed to make them last most of the week! I took inspiration from Deliciously Ella - a family favourite recipe, but reduced the ingredients to 100g almonds, 100g dates, 1 tbsp chia seeds, 3 tbsps cocoa, 2 tbsps of peanut butter- marginally more budget friendly and a reduced sugar content. Surprisingly, they didn't crumble at all and the peanut butter flavour came through perfectly combined with the cocoa.
An ideal healthy sweet treat for naughty chocolate cravings.
One of my favourite recipes developed this week was fruit compote. I was getting bored of having the same fruit on/ in my porridge each day and decided to mix it up a little. By simply stewing apples with frozen mixed berries, a delicious sweet sauce was created. It also provides the perfect base for apple crumble ;) . Stored in a jar and providing enough topping for a couple bowls of morning porridge. A great use of those autumnal apples
The past week has been a great experience and I definitely recommend it- perfect for when you are just getting bored of the same meals, forcing yourself to think outside of the box and deviate away from the normal meat and 3 veg. I'm happy to be having omelettes again and the odd roast chicken but without a doubt there will be many more plant-based meal discoveries to come.
