Being a vegan is such a funny thing sometimes.  For a lot of people it can be a real challenge to their beliefs.  When I tell people that at home during the week, my partner and I live as strict vegans (no dairy, no eggs, no meat, no seafood, no animal products at all), people always respond with the same question, “but what do you actually eat?”

 

And the answer is, LOTS!  It might seem very restrictive, but it is actually quite easy when you get the hang of it.  It seems like the most challenging thing for people to do is think of vegan dinners that would be satisfying for even the most carnivorous.   So I thought I would write down what I made each night for dinner last week, together with a rough recipe (I don’t cook with instructions or guidelines, more by feel, so apologies for the impreciseness)

 

Monday - Roasted cauliflower salad

Baby spinach

Fresh chopped tomato

Chopped red onion

Chopped cucumber

Chopped raw cashew nuts

Cauliflower

Avocado - approx quarter to half - mushed up

Dried rosemary

Pink Himalayan Salt

Lemon

 

Start by roasting cauliflower, chop into florets and then add to a roasting dish with some garlic, rosemary and salt. Leave for about 20mins.

Chop up the spinach, tomoto, cucumber, raw cashew nuts and toss into a salad.  Top with the roasted cauliflower, and squeeze with lemon juice.  Then dollop avocado on top!

 

Tuesday - Quinoa Laksa

Vegetarian Laksa Paste (I use Vessimix)

Chopped broccoli

Chopped salad onions

Chopped Cauliflower

1 massel vegan stock cube (chicken flavoured)

Quinoa

Coconut milk

 

Prepare quinoa firstly by putting 1 cup quinoa and 1 cup water into saucepan, bring to boil quickly.  Once bubbling, drop the heat right back to low and cover with lid for approx 15mins.

Add 2 tablespoons of laksa paste to a non stick saucepan and allow to become fragrant.  Then add in chopped cauliflower, chopped broccoli and sauté for a few minutes.  Add in coconut milk and stock cube and 1 cup water.  Bring to the boil.  Add quinoa to a bowl and then pour soup laksa mix over the top.

 

Wednesday - Roasted Beetroot soup

2 large beetroots

1 large onion

1 teaspoon of Tuscan spice

1 can of corn

2 Massel vegan stock cubes

Water

 

Chop the beetroots into small cubes, and the onion diced also.  Put into baking tray and sprinkle with oil , pink salt and Tuscan spice. Roast for about 30mins.

Take out from oven, and place into large pot on stove.  Saute for another 5 mins and then add water, stock cubes and corn.  Bring to boil for another 5-10mins.  Serve!

  

Thursday - Sweet potato and rocket salad

Roast a sweet potato (jacket and everything)

Handful fresh rocket

Sliced red onion

Cherry tomatoes

Lemon juice

Soy mayonnaise

 

Roast the sweet potato in its jacket.  No need to add anything, or do any prep, just throw it in by itself.  Roast for about 20 mins.  Combine rocket, cherry tomato, sliced red onion into a salad.  When sweet potato is roasted, remove from oven, peel off skin and then chop into pieces.  Top with a squeeze of lemon and a dollop of soy mayonnaise.

 

Friday - Mushrooms and pesto

Vegan pesto

Roasted mushrooms

Brocolini

Asparagus

Chickpeas (1 tin, drained)

Fresh parsley, chopped

Lemon juice

Pink Himalayan salt

 

Roast the mushrooms in the ovem just with a sprinkle of rosemary and pink Himalayan salt.  Chop the brocolini and asparagus and then lightly steam them, make sure they are still a rich vibrant green and not on their way to brown.  Once they are steamed, mix them with drained chickpeas and parsley.  Squeeze over lemon juice and sprinkle some salt.  Remove mushrooms from oven, then toss them in pesto.  Add the mushrooms to the top of the asparagus, brocolini, chickpea salad.