Vegan Daily Meal Plan #1

Since I became a vegan a few months ago, one of the most common questions that my friends and family ask me is "what do you eat every day".  So I thought that I'd create a daily meal plan on a page.

Of course, this meal plan is not set in stone.  It's just what I've been eating a lot of lately.  Sweet potatoes and brussels sprouts are in season and the weather has been getting a little cooler lately so a nice warm bowl of vegetables is the perfect lunch or dinner time meal.


The recipes in this meal plan are below:

• choc banana smoothie
• lemon-tahini sauce
• lunch bowl
• mushroom stir-fry

Lemon-Tahini Sauce

This is my number one 'go to' sauce/dressing.  It's a pretty simple recipe too.  Take a couple of lemons and and squeeze all the juice into a blender.  Add a little grated lemon rind too.  Add a couple of tablespoons of tahini, garlic cloves and a little salt and pepper.  

Then blend away!  Take a teaspoon and try a little.  If it needs some more acid, add lemon.  If it is too acidic add more tahini.

Once you have the combination of flavours how you like it, put it into a bowl in the fridge.  Then try to keep away from it!  

I add it to everything!  Lunch bowls, salads, roasted vegetables.  It is the most delicious dressing for anything you like!  

Mushroom Stir-Fry

This mushroom stir-fry was one of the first vegan dinners that I ever made.  When I first became in vegan (only a few months ago), I started with trepidation and enthusiasm.  But it didn't take long before I started to come home and make pretty much the same meal every single night.  Mushrooms (almost a kg of them) with either brown rice or toast.  As much as I love mushrooms, I needed more variety to keep my interest and to provide a diverse range of vitamins and minerals.


So here is a simple stir-fry that is fast and easy to make.  The beauty about stir-fries is that you can change them up every single time you make them.  Just use whatever vegetables you have in the fridge or freezer.  I like to stop at our local vegetable market on the way home and pick up whatever is in season to add to my stir-fry. If you don't have fresh baby spinach, you can use frozen spinach.  Just defrost it first and give it a good squeeze to get rid of all of the water. 

This particular stir-fry included mushrooms, onion, beans, spinach and udon noodles.  My very strict vegan friend told me to swap udon noodles for rice noodles or brown rice.  But that's because she also avoided eating any gluten.  I say to eat whatever grains tickle your fancy.

I used an electric wok to make my stir-fry but you could also use a fry pan if you wanted to.  

INGREDIENTS:

• garlic, sliced
• ginger, grated
• mushrooms, sliced
• brown onion, sliced
• green beans, whole
• fresh baby spinach (or frozen, see note above)
• udon noodles
• lemon juice (from 1-2 lemons) 
• soy sauce, about 1-2 tablespoons

METHOD:

1.   Heat wok to medium-high heat and add sliced mushrooms.  Don't stir them.  Just let them sit for a few minutes then give them a stir.  This reduces the amount of liquid that they release and (usually) stops it from becoming a big watery stew.  If there is liquid in the wok/pan just tip it out into the sink and keep going.
2.  Once mushrooms are soft and brown remove them from the pan and set aside.  We will add them back in in a sec.
3.  Add onions to the pan with a teaspoon of water to stop them from sticking.  Also add garlic and ginger and cook onions until soft.
4.  Add any vegetables that you have - I used green beans this time but sometimes I add broccoli and carrots etc.  Cook for just a few minutes or so.  Don't let them get overcooked and too tender (that is, mushy)
5.  Now it's time to add the mushrooms back into the pan along with the baby spinach leaves.
6.  Add lemon juice and soy sauce and give it a good stir to mix everything through.


This recipe is part of a meal plan - click here to see the whole day. 

Lunch Bowl

I just love a lunch bowl for lunch!  I've even had one for breakfast last week!  Like most vegan food, there is so much choice and there are no rules! 

This lunch bowl included brown rice, black beans, rocket, sweet potatoes, cauliflower, zucchini, corn, brussels sprouts, rocket and spring onions.  I drizzled lime juice and lemon-tahini sauce all over before eating (demolishing).

We have just come off a really long hot summer and now that the weather has finally cooled, I've been roasting a batch of vegetables a few times a week.  I used the same flavours this time for each of the vegetable types just because it was easy.  But it would also be great to mix up the herbs and spices for each vegetable type as well.  

INGREDIENTS:

• head of cauliflower, broken into florets
• zucchini, sliced lengthways
• sweet potato, roasted
• brussels spouts, cut in half
• fresh corn
• brown rice, cooked
• black beans, rinsed, soaked and boiled
• rocket
• spring onions, sliced
• juice of 1 lime
• lemon-tahini sauce
• dried oregano
• olive oil, about a teaspoon per group of vegetables
• salt and pepper to taste

METHOD:

1.  Preheat the oven to 190 degrees Celsius.
2.  Cook the corn in boiling water for five minutes and then cut the corn from the cob and set aside.  
3.  Mix the each of the vegetables (cauliflower, zucchini, brussels sprouts) with a teaspoon of olive oil, salt and pepper and dried oregano.

4.  Spread the vegetables on a tray lined with baking paper, making sure that there is enough space surrounding the vegetables so that the hot air can circulate and make them deliciously brown and crispy.
5.  Roast in the oven for 20-30 minutes, or until brown and crispy.  After around 10-15 minutes, give the pans a shake to turn the vegetables over so that they are browned on both sides.

6.  Once the vegetables are cooked, let them cool a little.
7.  Assemble the lunch bowl by layering the brown rice on the bottom, followed by some rocket, black beans and more rocket.  Then place the roasted vegetables on top along with the corn and spring onions.
8.  When ready to serve, drizzle lime juice and lemon-tahini sauce and mix through all of the layers.


Note:  This recipe is part of a meal plan.  For the daily meal plan, click here.