5 Simple Vegetarian Recipes
5 Simple Vegetarian Recipes
With most practicing physical distancing by staying at home during COVID-19, many of us, out of necessity, or perhaps because we now have more time, have been firing up our culinary skills in the kitchen! For those looking for simple, healthy and delicious ideas, below are some of my favourite recipes. Each can easily be adapted to be vegan or include your choice of meat-based protein.
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Better Broccoli Casserole – Cookie and Kate
This hearty and filling dish is perfect for those with larger appetites. To make it vegan, I substitute Daiya Pepperjack Style Shreds for the cheddar cheese and use SO Delicious unsweetened dairy free coconutmilk instead of real milk. This dish would also pair nicely with a side of chicken breast or salmon fillet.
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Incredible Sicilian Aubergine Stew (Caponata) – Jamie Oliver
This tangy, vegan dish goes nicely over rice. To increase the protein content, I slice and add 2-3 Tofurkey Italian Sausages to keep it vegan. These sausages have great texture and a mild flavour which doesn’t overpower the underlying taste of the dish. For those who prefer meat protein, plain diced chicken breast could be added. Toasted pumpkin seeds are also a nice alternative to slivered almonds if you, or anyone in your family, has a nut allergy. It says the nuts/seeds are optional, but I always include as it adds a nice texture. In fact, I usually double or triple the amount.
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Arugula and Wild Rice Salad with Zippy Lemon Dressing – Cookie and Kate
Fast, fresh and easy, this salad is robust enough to be eaten as a meal on its own. To make it vegan, omit the feta cheese. For nut allergies, substitute toasted pumpkin seeds for slivered almonds. If you’d like to add meat, a side of chicken breast or a salmon fillet would go nicely and be sure to make a little extra lemon dressing to drizzle over your protein of choice.
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Quinoa Vegetable Soup – Cookie and Kate
This is more like a stew than a soup and it’s packed full of goodness that warms the belly. To make it vegan, omit the parmesan cheese. I prefer to use chickpeas over other beans as it gives this soup a nicer texture. For chopped seasonal vegetables, I like to use sweet potatoes, zucchinis, yellow bell peppers and black kale. If you like lemon, feel free to add a few extra splashes to give it even more tang, and diced chicken breast may be added directly into the soup if you’d like to include meat protein.
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Dark Chocolate & Banana Energy Cookies – Sarah Britton (Posted on Alomoves)
Since physical distancing began, I have made 3 batches of these healthy, quick and easy treats which make a perfect mid-morning or midday snack. It takes just 5-minutes to prepare and another 15-20 minutes to bake. I like to use Hershey’s Dark Chocolate Chipits Chunks (70% cacao) for chunkier bits of chocolate throughout and Bob’s Red Mill 5 Grain Rolled Hot Cereal for the oats. To reduce the sweetness, you can decrease the amount of dates and to make it nut-free, substitute pumpkin seeds for the walnuts.
Hope some of the above recipes inspire you during your time at home. Stay healthy and well.
Melanie Yip
Co-Founder, Movement Travel