CHICO — Sheltering at place at home and eating vegan can feel difficult to maintain if you’re running out of ideas for meals to make at home.
If you’re feeling limited after weeks of quarantine, I entirely understand — but it doesn’t have to be this way! To keep yourself entertained and mitigate stir-craziness if you’re at home all day, every day, here are some cooking ideas to get motivation back:
- Try a new vegan cookbook. My two new favourite gifts are the titles “Eaternity” by Jason Wrobel and “The Complete Vegan Cookbook” by Tony and Yvonne Bishop-Weston. Both make it feel possible to eat delicious and healthy creative foods and give ideas for experimenting without ever getting bored with staple vegan meals. “Eaternity” divides its recipes by eating for all kinds of health goals like energy, immunity, detoxification, muscle and more, so you can choose nutrition goals for the day and select meals from there. “The Complete Vegan Cookbook” is a great starter if you are new to being vegan and need help with sorting your pantry for eating plant-based, or need new ideas for creative meals.
- Favourite recipes inside so far: “Eaternity”’s Cauliflower Lentil Tacos and The Burgerrito, and “The Complete Vegan Cookbook”’s jackfruit and avocado wrap, mushroom pasta with cashews and oat cream and the apple and berry chia pudding.
- See what you can make out of only local farmers market produce for several days. You need to use it up fast as it is and you can support farmers safely at our local market Wednesdays and Saturdays.
- At least challenge yourself to making one new meal every day. It’s easy to get stuck in a loop eating ramen or leftover takeout every night and while there’s nothing wrong with that, it’s good for all of us to mix up our routine and try something new even if that just means more baking!
For breakfast
This high-protein smoothie is a delicious way to fill up on greens with some delicious high-fibre fruits too. Add cold, dry ingredients first and start grinding while slowly adding more liquid to get the thickest, creamiest smoothie possible.
Serve this fruit and green smoothie alongside a warm bowl of steel cut oats and berries if you want a hearty breakfast. (Natalie Hanson - Enterprise Record)
- 1 whole banana
- 1 apple of your choice — fuji or gala work best
- 1/4 cup fresh or frozen pineapple
- 1 scoop vanilla plant protein powder
- 1 1/2 tablespoon cinnamon
- (optional) 1 tablespoon nut butter
- (optional) 2 tablespoons chia seeds
- 1 cup cauliflower, washed and separated
- 1 cup spinach or kale, washed
Once all liquid is added, you should see the smoothie thickening and fully blending. If some pieces are struggling to blend in, add a splash of water.
Pour into a glass and serve. Or, if thick enough, pour into a bowl and sprinkle berries, chia seeds and more cinnamon on top. Grab a spoon and dig in.
For lunch, dinner
This recipe comes from the first time I successfully deep-fried cauliflower and with this batter, there was no way I could know they weren’t fried chicken nuggets. There’s something about Moroccan flavouring that pairs surprisingly well with taco fixings like the bean/onion/salsa base I used, or you can make wraps with cilantro lime rice, avocado and parsley for something simpler.Moroccan Cauliflower Taco Wraps
First, prepare the batter:- Two tablespoons egg replacement, like Just Egg
- ¼ cup water
- 1 cup flour
- 2 cloves pressed garlic
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 1/2 tablespoon tumeric
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 teaspoons salt
- (optional) 1 teaspoon paprika
These tacos are made with deep fried battered cauliflower using a Moroccan-style seasoning, for tacos that taste exactly like breaded chicken. (Natalie Hanson — Enterprise-Record)
Cauliflower preparation: Wash half a head of cauliflower in cold water. Chop into small, bite-sized buns. Boil for about three minutes until tender.
Add to batter and mix well so all pieces of cauliflower are well covered.
Bring a pot of 4 cups of oil to boil.
Start slowly adding pieces of cauliflower to the oil. Boil in oil for five minutes, then use tongs to remove and place in a dish covered with a paper towel.
Let sit for about three minutes before placing in wrap or tortilla.
Bean and onion base: Heat a tablespoon of olive or vegetable oil on medium in a small sauce pan.
Add half a can of drained and washed black beans and half a diced white onion.
Garnish with half a fresh-squeezed lime and a pinch of salt.
Add two tablespoons of mild red salsa (I used Safeway Select Southwestern Salsa) and sautee for four minutes or until beans and onions are softened and soaking up the salsa.
Prepare wraps: Heat tortillas or wraps on stove or microwave for 25 seconds.
Add bean, salsa and onion mixture. Add three pieces of cauliflower to each taco or five-six if using a wrap.
Chop fresh red or green cabbage and add on top of the cauliflower. Top with vegan cheese (I used Daiya mozzarella), hot sauce or verde salsa and avocado to taste. Serve with slice of lime and cilantro.
New vegan takeout menus
If you need a break from cooking this week, there are new options out there.Although many small businesses have reduced their menus for curbside takeout and delivery, there have been some new offerings at local restaurants that are vegan. Make sure to check rotating menus at some restaurants to keep up on what is currently being served.
- Pizza Riot: New “Whittier Blvd Tacos” made with vegan chorizo, red and sweet potatoes, kimchi, avocado lime drizzle and all the fixings, look incredible.
- Bacio Catering: Vegan Chana Masala (gluten-free, an Indian chickpea curry with coconut and cashew), $13, feeds two
- Wine Time: A number of items including the vegan calzone, roasted garlic and pine nut hummus ($11), mac and cheese ($20 for two), chili ($18 for two) or vegan curried veggies ($20).
No comments:
Post a Comment