Super Vegan SUPPERS - ideas for Vegan-uary and beyond!

Never has there been a better time to learn about and experience a plant-based lifestyle.

A lifestyle that's kind to you, to animals and to our beautiful planet.

Whatever you've either heard about Veganism or think about Veganism - perhaps: how hard it is, how boring it might be, how bland the food must be - FORGET IT!!!

Negative perceptions - are just that - PERCEPTIONS - because a lot of industries want you to doubt how good a life Vegans have.

But I'm here to let you in on the world's best kept secret - being VEGAN is WONDERFUL!!!

Of course Veganism is a whole lifestyle, but starting with changes to your diet is the most fun way to begin. So let me show you that it's never about deprivation - more about liberation! Through scrumptious breakfasts, brunches, lunches, suppers and treats.

[All the meals you see here have been made by me, from scratch, in my kitchen at home. I take my inspiration from everywhere and love to be creative too. No time to add all the recipes, so please contact me if something takes your fancy and I'll send you your very own recipe sheet.] 

Much love - Chantal xxx

 

Easy flatbread pizza topped with tomato salsa, griddled veg, olives & pinenuts. Great for a Monday night after work!

Roast pumpkin linguine with sundried tomatoes, chilli basil pesto & croutons. Easy to make, then assemble!

Crispy smoked sesame tofu strips with a sweet and sour vegetable stirfy. Always easy midweek.

Lentil & nut roast (from Fair Foods of Exeter) with paprika parmentier potatoes & a fresh 'rainbow' salad.

A hearty vegan sausage & cider casserole with olive oil mash, romanescu and braised red cabbage. Perfect for Autumn/Winter!

There are hundreds of vegan burgers to be enjoyed! This one is a millet burger with onion relish.

Saturday night can still be curry night! This is a red Thai curry using cucumber, romanescu, courgette & extra chillis cos I like it hot!

And on Sundays something like this mushroom in ale pot pie hits the spot! With roast baby potatoes & steamed seasonal veg. The pastry is Jus-Roll vegan puff.

Spicy courgette rigatone with homemade coleslaw & vegan mayo.

Buddhas delight - a light and healthy vegetable tofu stirfry with steamed basmatti rice.

Stuffed fennel baked in white wine with a piquant tomato sauce.

Tofu and mushroom kebabs in a BBQ marinade with couscous & steamed broccoli.

Smokey mushroom burger with avocado and raw red seeded slaw.

Punjabi style potato curry with green salad, vegan raiita, papadums & mango chutney!

Nut Cutlet (Tesco) with steamed seasonal veg & roast new potatoes.

Mediterranean vegetable linguine with chill basil cashew pesto.

Thai spiced tofu cakes with chilli soy dipping sauce.

Vegetable chilli chimichangas with creamy coleslaw & sweetcorn relish.

Broccoli and peanut bake with seasonal steamed vegetables.

Mock BBQ'd pulled pork sandwich with coleslaw and fresh salad.

Aduki bean curry with a trio of vegan naan breads - coriander, kalonji & peshwari.

Mixed but and lentil loaf with steamed green vegetables.

GF Fusilli with kale and griddled artichokes.

Rich vegetable ratatouille with quinoa & bulgar wheat.

Terriyaki tofu with stir-fried vegetables and noodles.

Savoury root veg oat crumble with steamed vegetables.

Beetroot & beanburger with courgette frittes & rainbow salad.

Sundried tomato and artichoke pithivier with steamed greens.

Spicy root veg and red lentil casserole, topped with soya 'cream'  & served with fresh veg.

Full on vegan fry-up!! (with tofu scramble) Why not?!

And there we have it for Vegan-uary! A month's worth of delicious Vegan supper ideas!

Next up I'll be sharing some incredible new recipes of my own and also cooking from and reviewing tibits new cook book and Vegan Zombie's new cookbook!! Cannot wait!

Enjoy!

Much love, Chantal x x

Recipe: Super shoots and seeds salad.

Yes I know, I know, salad - in Autumn? (and a tricky one to say, at that!)? Well it does make use of the delicious apples that are falling now and it also makes a great 'sprinkle' for a hearty soup... so...

Omegas 3, 6 and 9 are nutrients that are vital to human health and well-being. 3 and 6 cannot be synthesised by the human body and therefore have to be obtained by diet. Typically on an omnivorous diet people are told to obtain Omega 3 by eating oily fish, eggs and grass-fed meat; Omega 6 by eating poultry and eggs.

But the great news is that there are a whole host of delicious plant-based sources of these fabulous 'fats' - grains, vegetables, nuts, seeds and oils. They'll help to keep your body's cells ticketyboo, help you to absorb other vitamins and keep your metabolism thriVing.

This fresh vibrant salad will just give you a little boost, some added protein and some peace of mind that your yummy Vegan diet is also a nutritional powerhouse. Enjoy!

Chantal xx

super shoots n seeds salad with apple & marinated tofu

[Serves 2+ as a main or 4+ as a side.]

Gather:

200g (approx) mixed sprouted seeds (such as soya, aduki, chickpea, radish, mung, alfalfa) [I used a 180g pack Good4U lentil, pea and bean shoots from Sainsburys - which was plenty for 2 plus leftovers] 

1/2 pack marinated tofu pieces* [I use Cauldron brand]

70g dried apricots - cut into quarters [I opt for organic (minus the sulphites) - Crazy Jack are good]

50g walnuts roughly chopped

30g pumpkin seeds

30g sunflower seeds

30g sesame seeds

Juice + zest of 1 lemon

1-2 tbsp of Vegan Omega-rich oil [I use Biona 3-6-9]

Pinch of salt [I use Himalayan Rose Pink Rock Salt - expensive, but used sparingly & worth it]

Freshly ground black pepper

2 fresh apples - cored and finely chopped [I use Braeburns for crispness & sweet, sharp flavour]

*optional addition

Create:

1.  There's not much to this one. Add all of the shoots, seeds, apricots & lemon zest to a large bowl and mix to combine.

2.  Whisk the dressing ingredients together and pour over the salad.

3.  Chop the apple and add to the mix along with the tofu pieces. Stir to combine.

4.  Tadah!

Enjoy!

This dish is great served fresh but will also keep well in the fridge for a day because of the lemon juice. If you want to add a greater carb element simply add some toast on the side. It would also be delicious with grains such as buckwheat and flavoured couscous.

leftovers as silky thai-spiced soup 'sprinkles'

Cooks tips: Save some to sprinkle on soups (like I did with this Thai spiced butternut, sweet potato soup below) or larger mixed green salads. Keep these three seeds - pumpkin, sesame, sunflower in your larder at all times & throw handfuls onto mueslis, cereals, porridge, cookies, loaves, coleslaws, salads, steamed veggies, pastas and crumbles. The oil is strong flavoured, but good for drizzling onto salads too.

For more info on Omegas please see here, 3 here, and 6 here.

VeganMofo - Compassion is the fashion with fabulous vegan foods... Week 3

Can you believe it's:

Week 3 of VeganMofo!

What's it all about and what did you miss on weeks 1 and 2? Please check here!

What's coming up next? Only another 21 more delicious meal ideas!
Is there no end to the vegan food possibilities???
I don't think so!

Sunday  15.9.13

Spicy bravas-style tofu scramble on multiseed toast with baked forestiere mushrooms.

You all know by now I love a brunch at the weekend and this one is so low calorie and so tasty that you can enjoy a really hearty portion that sets you up for the day! 

Egg-free, dairy-free chocolate macadamia fudge brownies.

My first attempt at making these - made using a ground flax seed 'egg' ! Who knew this could be so easy and who would have guessed they would disappear in an afternoon?!

A nut roast slice (from Healthy Pulses, Exeter) with olive oil mash and lots of mixed steamed veg.

We've all heard of the stereotypical 'vegan nut roast' - but let me tell you, don't knock it 'til you've tried it - it's far tastier and far better than many other roasts I could mention!

Monday 16.9.13

Porridge made with almond milk and oats, topped with the last of the summer berries (raspberries, blueberries & a lone strawberry!), flaked almonds & agave nectar.

One of the simplest most delicious breakfasts you can make and there are so many different moo-free milks to try. Almond and oat are my favourite.

#VeganMofo lunch: I'm eating a 'Hungry Monk' (!) at Tyepyedong #Exeter. Noodle bars r gr8 4 #vegan food! pic.twitter.com/sETWcHtKVx
— Chantal DH (@vegsoup4thesoul) September 16, 2013

Baked leek risotto with onions, peppers and vegan mozarella.

This is a great weeknight supper dish, because you chop, throw it into a dish and bake.

I love it with lashings of tomato ketchup - may not be classy, but it works for me!

Tuesday 17.9.13

Pumpkin-seed toast with homemade damson jam and a fresh pear on the side.

I always try to add a fruit or veg element to a breakfast and these blush pears are amazing!

Baked sweet potato falafels with fresh salad and wholemeal pitta.

The 'after' pic was a somewhat full pitta oozing with mayo and chilli sauce too! Pretty much anything could go into a falafel - they're as limiting as your imagination :)

Mixed marinated vegetable kebabs (mango chilli sauce, BBQ sauce, satay sauce) on a bed of fluffy couscous and with a side of hm coleslaw.

Yes, I am officially addicted to coleslaw - I would add it to everything if I could. It's raw and healthy too!

Wednesday 18.9.13

Birchers-style muesli with fresh apple and blackcurrants.

This seems to be one of those breakfasts you get on buffet bars in more upmarket hotels - but so simple to make at home. Last week on Mofo I made this goji pineapple muesli and here it is revamped with some added fruit and soya yoghurt.

Homemade crispy, golden, spicy sweet potato empanadas, with lime mayonnaise and a 'ribbon' salad.

A bit of an indulgent lunch this one - but fabulous if you have people over (which I did) because it's tasty, unusual and they'll never guess its vegan! 

Homemade spaghetti bolognaise, made with soya mince and vegan red wine (1 bottle of!)

Everyone loves a good 'ole spag bol don't they - and I'm no exception. Making meals like this using a meat substitute is a great way to start out on the vegan lifestyle. 

Thursday 19.9.13

Sunflower seed toast with cashew nut butter and a raspberry, pineapple, vanilla smoothie on the side.

I never used to like peanut butter, but nut butters do really appeal to me, so I tried cashew as an alternative and I love it! Worth a go if you feel the same :)

Spicy sweet potato with baby gem and homemade coleslaw in a salsa tortilla wrap.

This was left over empanada filling and perfect for a lunch wrap either at home or on the go.

Homemade beetroot burger - simply in a bun with a light garnish it was so good!

Although my kitchen looked like horrendous after making this - it was worth it! Forget trying to grow 'meat' in petri dishes - we have the solution here already.

Friday 20.9.13

Gluten-free mixed cereals with chocolate almond milk and fresh banana.

Why should chocolate milk be just for kids? I love this breakfast - hits all the right notes for a Friday :)

Red kidney bean dip with warm pittas and crudites.

I really try to keep some lunches light and I love crunchy fresh veg so much that its no hardship. Sugar snap peas are one of the most delicious things. They have to be fresh though.

Baked avocado goujons in panko crumbs with a jacket potato, homemade sweet chilli sauce, coleslaw and some seeded salad.

I've never been that keen on avocado, as you know, but with this amazing way to cook with them I could even get to love them!

Saturday 21.9.13

Mixed scrumped-fruit crumble (raspberries, figs, apples, blueberries), with a spiced oaty topping.

Yes - you see right, I had this for breakfast with some soya custard! What the hell. There was no room in the fridge and it just looked too good. This was one of my best ever crumbles. Yum! (NB I didn't eat it all by myself - I had help!)

Vegan packed lunch - cucumber and Marmite rolls, fresh tomatoes, some Thai-spiced crisps and a free-from chocolate bar.

What on earth do vegans have in sandwiches? It turns out there are a hundred things (I think I'll do a post on it one day). This is a childhood favourite of mine. Unusual, but if you are in the Marmite love camp - you'll like it!

Mixed vegetable jalfrezi with saffron rice and steamed tender stem broccoli.

Yay! Curry night! Indian food is a cuisine that lends itself so well to veganism - there are lots of choices and flavours and it also means a great weekend treat if you are a spice/heat fan. (Pappadums were out of view!)