Cauliflower Mince

I am moving away from using vegan frozen mince and introducing more whole foods into my diet. This is because whole foods are far more nutritious than any processed food, not to mention cheaper. In meals where I would usually use mince I have substituted it for cauliflower. This vegetable can become an amazingly hearty mince for dishes such as spaghetti bolognese or curry. 

You might not believe that a cauliflower can be transformed into mince but it is actually such a simple process, simply wash, chop and blend the cauliflower in a food processor. It ends up resembling bread crumbs. This can then be cooked in a sauce of your choice. 

I used it in a pasta sauce along with mushrooms and onion to create a vegan spaghetti bolognese. It is absolutely delicious and the cauliflower takes minutes to cook in the sauce. It makes the meal very filling, making it perfect for family dinners. It is also a healthy alternative to shop bought processed foods. Plus using vegetables makes the meal inexpensive, vegan food really can be cost effective. Try serving it with wholemeal pasta for a delicious, healthy and filling meal. 

Quick, healthy meal idea Avocado and Chickpea spread on a Bagel with Couscous and Salad

I love quick and healthy foods it makes evening meals easier especially when you are in a rush. This meal idea combined lots of my favourite foods, I made it when I was home late so didn't want to spend a long time cooking but still wanted something healthy. 

I mashed together an avocado and a tin of chickpeas and added the juice of half a lemon and seasoned this with black pepper and added it to a toasted bagel. I then added chopped tomato and cucumber, fried onion and paired it with wholemeal couscous made with mushrooms and grated carrot. It took less than  30 minutes to prepare and was extremely filling and tasty, I also added tahini as a dressing. Eating healthy is easy and doesn't have to take long to prepare. Plus when you have a meal with many different foods you gain the nutrients from all the different ingredients as well as having array of flavour. I used the New York Co bagels for this meal which are vegan and high in protein making them a great part of a meal or a snack after working out. You also gain protein from the chickpeas and healthy fat from the avocado as well as nutrients from the rest of the vegetables. This meal shows that healthy food can be quick, simple and delicious.  

Healthy Lunch

After trying and failing to do raw til 4 (What can I say I like cooked food) I am still determined to eat more raw food every day as it is full of nutrients and great for staying well and keeping healthy. I also love training at the gym and need good food to help my muscles recover. 

One way I have been eating more fruit is by eating it for lunch. It is easy to chop up different fruits, they are filling, full of natural flavour and make you feel good. This lunch I prepared was a banana, an apple an a pear eaten with some cashew nuts for a healthy source of fat and a home made ginger biscuit and a vanilla herbal tea. 

I love having a mix of flavours in a meal and fruit is naturally sweet making it a tasty lunch. Try swapping your daily sandwich for something more natural and try a raw lunch. 

Platter Food

One way to make an interesting Vegan meal is to combine many different foods and flavours. For this meal I combined some of my favourite foods. The falafel is shop bought by Cauldron foods, these are ready to eat or can be heated up. I had the hot which tasted great. I combined this with scrambled tofu, hummus, grated carrot, home made bread and avocado. Apart from the bread which can be made earlier all this food is easy to prepare and creates a picnic style meal. The tofu takes five minutes to cook and can be combined with any ingredients you have to hand, I mixed red onion, mushrooms and spinach with the tofu to great a nice warm side dish which is healthy and low in calories. Having a range of options is one way to make meals more interesting and the bonus is you get a range of nutrients in the easy to prepare meal. 

Check out my easy brown bread recipe here: http://vegoutveganguide.blogspot.co.uk/2016/03/homemade-brown-bread-recipe.html

Scrambled tofu, sweet potato and spiralized courgette salad

Vegan Meal Idea- Scrambled tofu, sweet potato and spiralized courgette salad. This healthy, quick meal is a perfect combination for a tasty evening meal. I love scrambled tofu and believe it is not just a breakfast choice, it is high in protein and contains magnesium and calcium. Try adding red onion and avocado to it for flavour and season with your favourite spices. Sweet potato is a great addition to any meal, it has a naturally sweet flavour meaning it can simply be boiled for around 20 minutes and added to the dish. I have posted a recipe for my raw courgette salad, this makes a great raw lunch and any left overs can be used along side your evening meal. I like meals that are quick to prepare and healthy and it is possible to do both. Try adding different items to any meal to make it healthier and full of nutrients and most importantly filling. Vegans definitely don't just eat rabbit food. 

Spiralized Courgette and Carrot raw salad with avocado dressing

For this raw salad you will need: 

Ingredients for the salad: 

• 1 Courgette (spiralized)
• 2 Carrots (spiralized) 
• 1/2 small Cucumber (spiralized)
• 1/2 Red onion 
• Lettuce chopped (Handful) 
• 2 Celery stalks finely chopped 

Ingredients for the dressing: 

• 1/2 Avocado 
• 2 tsp Organic Cider vinegar
• 100ml water 
• A mixture of spices (Try chilli, basil, paprika, mixed herbs and pepper) 

1. Spiralize the courgette, carrots and cucumber 
2. Chop the celery, red onion and lettuce 
3. Mix all the vegetables in a mixing bowl 
4. Blend the avocado in cider vinegar and water until a smooth paste
5. Add your choice of spices and herbs to the dressing and blend again (Any can be used) 
6. Add the dressing to the vegetables and mix the serve

This is a simple raw salad perfect for lunch on a raw diet or when you are trying to eat healthier. This also makes a great side salad for an evening meal. 

Avocado and Broccoli Potato Salad

Left overs can quickly be used to create healthy meals. This Avocado and Broccoli potato salad is made from left overs from the previous nights dinner. By adding a few extra ingredients and herbs you can create a healthy lunch or delicious side salad to have with a meal. 

You will need: 

* boiled potatoes 
* Half and avocado
* chopped red onion
* cooked broccoli 
* mixed Italian herbs

Simply fry all the ingredients in a pan using fry light (the potatoes and broccoli should already have been boiled until soft.) 

Add herbs and cook until the potatoes are brown

Fry the onion first, followed by the potatoes then the broccoli and avocado. 

Serve. 

This is such a simple salad to make but it tastes amazing, chilli flakes or yeast flakes can be added for extra flavour. 

Baked Sweet Potato

Why do we only ever use white potatoes for baking? Sweet potato is a nice alternative. 

It has a sweet flavour, is full of nutrients and cooks quickly. 

Put them straight in the oven and cook until soft, cut in half and eat the insides. 

For toppings add non dairy butter, fried red onion and mushrooms and serve with broccoli and top with vegan cheese. 

These healthy alternative baked potatoes will be a new favourite. 

A little something on the side

It can be hard to know what to have with your meal. It is even harder if you are on a budget. But there are easy options to fill your plate and stomach without emptying your purse. 

Adding a side salad can be cheap and easy. Ice berg lettuce and cucumber are inexpensive vegetables. Chopped up and mixed with some white wine vinegar it can make a simple and easy addition to any meal. 

This can easily fill half your plate and is a simple way to increase your intake of vegetables. 

Another easy addition to your meal is canned vegetables. Baby carrots and chickpeas are cheap and easily stored in your kitchen. 

They can be cooked when you need a little extra food for a meal. They are quick to cook, healthy and tasty. 

Scrambled tofu is one of my new favourite foods and these extras are a great, healthy extra. Some people think eating healthy is hard and expensive but these foods are cheap and filling. They are also quick to cook for anyone looking for a quick and healthy meal and the best part they are inexpensive extras to have on the side. 

This is fast food at it's finest. Quick, healthy, cheap and filling. Add these little extras to your meal and make it extra special. 

Vegan Christmas Dinner

Well Christmas has certainly come around quickly this year. If you are preparing for a Vegan Christmas dinner or cooking for a vegan friend or family member here are some ideas of what you can have for your meal, most of the food will already be Vegan- potatoes, swede and carrot, broccoli and sprouts all you need now is some mains to add to the dish: 

• Nut roast- Makes a great main that can feed the family. Home made is tasty but if you don't have time there are many shop bought versions. Artisan grains available at health food shops or Holland and Barrett have a roast easily made by adding water and baking. Cooking Christmas dinner just got easier. 

• Turkey style roast- V Bites have a vegan roast to add to the meal. Vegan, GMO Free and most importantly vegan. These have a short shelf life so make sure you pick it up this week and enjoy on Christmas day. 

• Sausage Rolls- The Linda McCartney range has many vegan options including sausage rolls. These are delicious, easy to cook and will be a popular addition to any Christmas dinner. 

These options make having a vegan Christmas dinner simple. Take the stress out of cooking and pick up some hassle free mains so you can enjoy the day. 

Quick way to add vegetables to your diet

If you are struggling to get your five a day fruit and vegetables a great way to add veg into your diet is to roast different vegetables to have with your main meal. 

This is the selection of vegetables I chose. There is sweet potato, celery, mushrooms, new potatoes, carrot and red onion. Coconut oil was added along with mixed herbs, paprika, cumin, turmeric, pepper and chili these are to add flavour and coconut oil adds taste and is one of the healthiest oils to use. Although any vegetables and spices you have available to use can be added to the mix. 

Making this half of your evening meal means you are gaining nutrients, vitamins and increasing your vegetable intake. It is also a tasty addition to have alongside vegan sausages, nut cutlets or the new vegan quorn burger. It is filling and most importantly healthy. Add more veg to your diet with this easy method.