I have officially been vegan for 3 weeks now, so I wanted to share with you a recipe for each meal of the day!
One of my favorite things about becoming vegan has been that I've been cooking more lately. I never cooked before because my mom made all of my meals that weren't cereal or PB&J, but since my diet has become more restrictive I've been forced to discover and create meals on my own. I'm not saying I spend hours in the kitchen each day, but when you cook for yourself you have a much greater appreciation of food!
Breakfast: Vegan Pancakes
So this recipe I found in The Teen's Vegetarian Cookbook while I was babysitting last week! I made them over the weekend, and they were a bit messy because it was my first time ever making pancakes, but they were delicious none the less.
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup unbleached white flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup soymilk, rice milk, or nondairy milk (I used almond milk)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil (I used canola oil)
2 tablespoons liquid sweetener, such as maple syrup, apple juice, etc. (I used maple syrup)
1. Combine dry ingredients in a bowl. Combine wet ingredients in a separate bowl.
2. Add milk mixture to flour mixture and mix just until moistened; a few lumps are okay. (Don't overbeat, or pancakes will be tough.)
3. Heat a nonstick griddle or frying pan over medium-high flame until a few drops of water drizzled onto it forms beads and bounces around. Pour 1/2 tablespoon of oil (I used PAM) onto the griddle and heat until hot.
4. Pour batter onto the griddle to form circles about 4 inches in diameter. Cook the pancakes for a minute or 2 on one side. When bubbles appear on the surface, slide a spatula under the pancakes and flip it over. Cook the pancakes on the other side for another 1 or 2 minutes.
Lunch: Vegan Chicken Salad
A week ago I went over to Weaver Street Market in Carrboro, and I discovered their Vegan Chicken Salad. It tastes just like regular chicken salad, except it uses soy nuggets instead of chicken! I'm absolutely obsessed with it and I've had it for lunch 2x in the past week.
10.5 ounces Delight Soy! nuggets, slightly thawed
1 cup vegan mayonnaise
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup diced celery
1/4 cup chopped curly parsley
1. Place soy nuggets in a food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped.
2. Place in a bowl and combine mayonnaise, salt, pepper, celery, and parsley. Stir to fully combine.
I'll admit, this recipe my mom made for me and I loved it! It's honestly so tasty and the recipe makes a lot so you can eat it for a few days. I found it on Pinterest, and if you follow my recipe board (@laurenalston12) you can see other recipes I try!
For the Coconut Rice:
- 1 ½ cups dry jasmine rice
- 1 (15 oz) can unsweetened coconut milk
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup water
For the Salad:
- 2 red bell peppers, finely chopped
- 1 red cabbage, shredded
- 1½ cups shredded carrots
- 1 small red onion, finely diced
- 1 cup cilantro, chopped
- ¾ cup green onions, thinly sliced
- 1 cup cashews, finely chopped
For the Ginger Peanut Sauce:
- ⅓ cup peanut butter
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 3 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 2 teaspoon sesame oil
- Lime wedges
1. Rinse the dry rice well until the water runs clear.
2. In a medium-sized pot, mix together the rice, coconut milk, garlic, salt, and water Cover and bring to a boil.
3. Once the pot reaches a rolling boil, reduce heat to low and let simmer for 30 minutes.
4. After 30 minutes, turn off heat and let sit (with the lid on) for an additional 10 minutes.
5. As you wait for the rice, make the peanut sauce.
6. In a small, microwave-safe bowl, combine the peanut butter and honey. Microwave for 15 seconds, or until the peanut butter thins. Stir well. Add the ginger, rice vinegar, and sesame oil. Stir again. Thin as desired with water.
7. Fluff the rice and combine it with the chopped vegetables and cashews. Drizzle with a bit of the Ginger Peanut Sauce and taste-- you most likely will not need to use all of it. Serve with lime wedges.
Dessert: Vegan Brownies
Desserts are so hard to find vegan because I feel like everything has either milk or eggs. However, since finding this recipe on Pinterest I've made these brownies 3 times!
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 cup non-dairy milk or water (I used almond milk)
1 cup vegetable oil (I used canola oil)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1. Preheat oven to 350 F
2. Mix together the dry ingredients in a large bowl
3. Add wet ingredients, mix well until blended
4. Pour batter into a 9x13 pan and bake for 25-30 min, until the top is no longer shiny
Those are 4 of my favorite vegan recipes, let me know in the comments below if you would be interested in seeing another post like this in a few weeks and also link your favorite vegan recipes for me to try! Stay tuned, xo Lauren.
