Eating vegan is not all that difficult, and if you start learning the basics of vegan cooking, you will soon realise that being vegan can be simple and fun too. Cara from “Love It Vegan” has a huge passion for delicious plant-based foods and showing others how they too can change to a plant based diet without feeling they are missing out
Meatless Movement asked Cara to recommend 3 of their favourite quick 30 minute recipes that the whole family can enjoy together.
Creamy vegan Parmesan polenta
If you’ve never tried polenta… OMG it’s banging 💥👊🏻
Creamy vegan Parmesan polenta with home-made bbq ribz & slow roast caramelised carrots 🤤💦💦💦
Ingredients
- 1½ cups of coarse cornmeal/polenta (I used medium cornmeal as that’s what I had)
- 6 cups of water (swap 3 cups for plant milk if you prefer)
- 30g ish of vegan Parmesan
- 1 heaped tbs of vegan butter
- 1 mushroom stock cube (or stock cube/bouillon of your choice)
- 1 tbs of onion salt
- 1 heaped tbs of miso
Instructions
- Bring the water up to a boil in a pan and stir in stock cube, miso, onion salt till dissolved
- Lower heat to a simmer and pour in the cornmeal slowly whisking while you do it, keep whisking till it thickens and water has disappeared
- Take off the heat and stir in the Parmesan and butter
- If it’s lumpy you can use a hand blender to make it smooth and creamy
- Give it a taste and add a little more salt if needed
- Spread the polenta over a plate and top with vegan meats or veggies
- This recipe makes a lot of polenta so take the left over polenta and spread it in a lined baking tray about half an inch thick, let it cook then pop it in the fridge overnight. This will make crispy Parmesan garlic chips tomorrow 🍟👍🏻
Notes
DID YOU KNOW? 🤔
Cornmeal is a whole grain carbohydrate - whole grains like whole cornmeal are "good" carbohydrates. These types of whole grains contain complex carbs, fiber and other nutrients, and they can help prevent diseases like diabetes, heart disease and some cancers… get making that polenta ❤️💪🏻
Potato & Salmon Fish Cakes
Eat hot or cold, as a starter, main or snack… totally delicious 😋
Ingredients
- 200g of firm tofu
- 1tsp of beet powder
- 5 medium potatoes peeled
- 2tbs of sesame oil
- ½ a cup of veg oil
- Small bunch coriander roughly chopped
- 1-2 red chillis finely sliced
- 2 spring onions finely sliced
- 1tsp garlic granules
- 2tsp sea salt
- 2tbs finely chopped capers
- 2tbs caper water
- 2 heaped tbs of gram flour
- 1 cup of plant milk
- Bread crumbs of choice
Instructions
- Peel and boil your potatoes till soft then smash up roughly adding the sesame oil
- Add the beet powder to a cup of water and stir then add in the caper water
- Break up your tofu into small pieces and add it into the beet/caper water, let soak for 15-20 mins
- Drain the tofu and add it to the smashed potatoes (discard beet water)
- Add the coriander, chilli, garlic granules, salt, capers & spring onion to the potatoes and mix in well
- Let cool then form 8-10 patties
- Mix a little of the milk with the gram flour to make a paste, then add the rest of the milk and stir to make a batter
- Pop each cake into the batter then into the crumbs to coat
- Fry the cakes (2 batches) in the veg oil flipping once till golden on each side
- Cook in the oven for 10 mins on 180
If you want to keep some fish cakes in the fridge/freezer then let cool after frying and re-heat in the oven before serving - Cook for 20 mins from frozen
Notes
🌱Voila… delicious served on a bed of spinach with chilli oil 🤤💦
Nutrition Information
Yield
10Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 361Total Fat 22gSaturated Fat 4gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 16gCholesterol 22mgSodium 985mgCarbohydrates 29gFiber 3gSugar 4gProtein 13g
BBQ Whole Roast Cauliflower
Weekend food drop 📸🤤💦
BBQ whole roast cauliflower is just 😭, soft, buttery & melts in the mouth. Sitting on a bed of smooth spinach hummus with balsamic crispy kale, walnuts & sesame seeds 😍
Perfect for sharing and tearing bread to mop up all that hummus 🥖🌱
Ingredients
- 1 can chickpeas
- 2 hand fulls of washed spinach
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tbs olive oil
- 1 tbs cider vinegar
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1 tbs tahini
- 1 tsp bicarb
Instructions
- Boil the chickpeas in their water with the bicarb till soft and shells are starting to fall off
- Drain of the hot water and rinse the chickpeas with cold water in the sauce pan, stir them with your hand to help the shells float to the top of the water, scoop of the shells and drain again (discard the shells)
- Add the chickpeas and the rest of the ingredients to a high speed blender and whizz till smooth, add a tbs of water if necessary to blend smooth
- Check the seasoning and add more salt if necessary
- Smooth the hummus over a large serving plate making a well in the middle, then place your roast cauliflower in the middle
- Serve with fresh baked tearing bread… your friends will love it
Nutrition Information
Yield
2Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 306Total Fat 15gSaturated Fat 2gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 11gCholesterol 0mgSodium 1608mgCarbohydrates 34gFiber 11gSugar 6gProtein 13g
For more quick and easy recipes that are also kind in your pocket so check out Love It Vegan’s socials and blog and give one a try.
all images and recipes courtesy of love it vegan