How to make easy vegan recipes at home: 7 meatless recipes for any taste bud
Vegan recipes from Beyoncé's nutrionist, Samah Dada and Chloe Coscarelli make ditching dairy and more a cinch.
Looking for some Meatless Monday inspiration? How about trying a week's worth of vegan meals?
For those teetering on the verge of veganism — or those who are simply intrigued about a veggie-focused eating plan — occasionally swapping in a dish or two that's free of meat, dairy and any animal byproducts every few days is a good way to start.
Luckily, when it comes to prepping a vegan-friendly lunch or dinner at home, there are plenty of superstar chefs to guide the way. And, if you're looking for even more meatless meal inspiration, the stars themselves might give us some incentive. Who here doesn't want Beyoncé's beautiful figure or Natalie Portman's eternally glowing skin? Both celebs attribute some of their best, well, attributes to eating vegan.
Sounds delicious to us!
Thai Coconut Red Curry
SERVINGS:4
Coconut milk is a traditional ingredient in Thai-style curries that gives them their signature creaminess. A variety of vegetables and firm tofu make this dish filling while keeping it light and healthy.
Ingredients
- One 14-ounces block extra firm tofu, cubed
- 3 tablespoons arrowroot powder
- 2 teaspoons coconut oil
- 1/2 cup diced onion
- 1 tablespoon minced ginger
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup carrot sticks
- 1/2 cup halved baby corn
- 3 tablespoons red curry paste
- 1¼ cup unsweetened, canned coconut milk
- 1/3 cup water
- 1 cup thinly sliced Swiss chard
- 1/2 cup sugar snap peas, ends removed
- 1/2 cup red bell pepper strips
- 1 teaspoon brown rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons gluten-free tamari
- 1/4 cup green peas, frozen or fresh
- Cilantro, as needed, for garnish
- Sea salt, as needed
Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Toss cubed tofu with arrowroot powder. Bake on a parchment lined baking sheet for 15- 17 minutes, until golden.
3. Heat large skillet with coconut oil.
4. Sauté onions, ginger and garlic with a pinch of sea salt until softened.
5. Add carrots and cook until they begin to get tender. Add baby corn, red curry paste, coconut milk and water and simmer for 5 minutes.
6. Add Swiss chard, sugar snap peas, green peas and red bell peppers. Turn off heat and stir until Swiss chard has wilted. Stir in the tamari and peas.
7. Serve over long grain brown rice, cooked according to directions. Garnish with cilantro and serve.
Coconut milk is a traditional ingredient in many Thai-style curries — it gives them their signature creaminess without actual dairy cream. A variety of vegetables and firm tofu make this dish filling while keeping it light enough for a summer supper.
Zia Lina Sugo (pasta sauce)
SERVINGS:4
Shredded carrots and peas add even more veggie goodness to tomato sauce. The extra veggies also give it fresh flavor and terrific texture.
Ingredients
- One 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
- One 15-ounce jar tomato sauce
- 1/2 cup diced onions
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 medium carrot, shredded
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 2 teaspoon olive oil
Preparation
1. Blend together shredded carrot and tomato sauce. Set aside.
2. In a medium saucepan, sauté onions and garlic in olive oil over medium heat until soft and translucent.
3. Add crushed tomatoes, a third at a time, to saucepan and stir.
4. Add tomato sauce/carrot mixture and let simmer for 15-20 minutes, stirring often.
5. Five minutes before serving, stir in peas and remove from heat.
6. Serve over your favorite legume pasta.
What better way to dive into veganism than with an easy yet flavorful pasta sauce? Shredded carrots and peas give this tomato-based sauce a fresh flavor with a terrifically silky texture. Just make a pot of any pasta of your choice and enjoy.
Wild Rice Salad
This healthy and flavorful salad is great as a side dish or you can add protein to make it a main. It's also great served on its own or over leafy greens.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup uncooked wild rice
- 1/4 cup uncooked brown rice
- 2 cups butternut squash, diced
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- Sea salt, to taste
- 1 cup Brussels sprouts, halved
- 2 cups Tuscan kale, thinly sliced
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon date sugar
- 1/4 cup toasted pistachios, chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh pomegranate seeds
- 2 scallions, thinly sliced
Preparation
1. Cook wild rice and brown rice according to package instructions and set aside.
2. Toss butternut squash with 1 tablespoon olive oil and a bit of sea salt. Spread on baking sheet and roast at 375ºF for 15-18 minutes, until browned.
3. Toss Brussels sprouts with 1 tablespoon olive oil and a bit of sea salt. Spread on baking sheet and roast at 375°F for 10-12 minutes, until browned.
4. Sauté Tuscan kale.
5. Whisk together remaining olive oil, red wine vinegar, date sugar and a pinch of sea salt.
6. Combine all ingredients and top with thinly sliced scallions.
This salad made with hearty and nutritious wild rice can be enjoyed as a side dish or a main during lunch or dinner. It's great served on its own or over a bed of leafy greens for extra bulk and fiber.
Charred Cauliflower
This cauliflower puts all other preparations to shame. The spicy coconut syrup transports you to the islands while the romesco sauce is reminiscent of classic European cuisine. It is a globally inspired dish that will keep you going back for more.
Ingredients
COCONUT SYRUP
- 2 cups coconut flakes
- 3 cups water
- 3 cups sugar
- 1 clove garlic
- 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
- 2 scotch bonnet peppers
ROMESCO SAUCE
- 4 plum tomatoes
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 1 clove garlic
- 2 teaspoons Hungarian paprika
- 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 scotch bonnet pepper
- 1/2 cup almonds, toasted
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt, to taste
TO ASSEMBLE
1 head cauliflower, broken down into florets
Freshly squeezed lime juice
Cilantro, torn
Preparation
For the coconut syrup:
1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Spread coconut flakes on a baking sheet and toast for 10 minutes, or until golden brown.
2. Add the toasted coconut, water, garlic, lime juice and pepper to a small pot and bring to a boil.
3. Place mixture in a blender and puree in batches. Strain and reserve syrup. Discard all other contents.
For the romesco sauce:
Add all ingredients to a food processor and puree. In a medium sized pot, add the olive oil and set over medium-high heat. Add the puree and cook, constantly stirring, for 30 minutes. Season with salt and reserve.
For the cauliflower:
Season the cauliflower with salt, lime and the coconut syrup and place on a baking sheet. Roast in the oven for 15 minutes.
To assemble:
Spoon a couple of tablespoons of the romesco sauce on the plate. Place the cauliflower on top and sprinkle with lime juice and torn cilantro.
The spicy coconut syrup in this dish transports you to the islands while the Romesco sauce is reminiscent of classic European cuisine. It's a truly globally inspired dish that will keep you going back for more.
Vegan Taco Mac and Cheese
COOK TIME:15 minutes
PREP TIME:15 minutes
SERVINGS:8
This recipe is hearty with a capital H! It’s kind of like a cross between tacos and mac and cheese — make it for your hungriest friends and family members and dare them to say vegan food isn’t filling! The first time my roommate and I made this, afterward, we were so full that we said we would never eat again. Obviously, the next night, we craved it and made it again!
Technique tip: Blending nuts with water is a technique I use often to make luscious, dairy-free creams that serve as a base for sauces, soups or desserts. If you have a high-powered blender, you can blend your nuts raw without any kind of soaking. If you do not have a high-powered blender, you can try using them raw, but if you have trouble, soak the nuts overnight or in boiling water for 10 minutes, then drain them before blending. This will soften them and ensure a silky-smooth cream once blended.
Swap option: You can use gluten-free macaroni in this dish.
Ingredients
- 1 pound elbow macaroni
- One 15-ounce can kidney beans or black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup (4 ounces) frozen sweet yellow corn, thawed
- 2 cups water
- 2 cups raw cashews (see top)
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes
- 2 tablespoons agave nectar
- 2½ teaspoons sea salt
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, plus more for garnish
- 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, with their juices
- 2 jalapeños, seeded and chopped
- Chopped fresh chives, for garnish
- Lime wedges, for serving
Preparation
1. Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook to al dente according to the package directions. Place the beans and corn in a large colander in the sink. Drain the pasta on top of the beans and corn, and return everything to the pot.
2. Meanwhile, in a blender, combine the water, cashews, nutritional yeast, agave, salt, smoked paprika, turmeric, and cayenne. Blend on high speed for about 2 minutes, until very smooth. Add the cashew sauce, tomatoes with their juices, and jalapeños to the pot with the noodles. Cook over medium-low heat for about 5 minutes, until the sauce thickens. If the sauce gets too thick, add water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the desired consistency is reached.
3. Top each serving with chives and smoked paprika and serve with a lime wedge.
This vegan main by New York City-based vegan chef Chloe Coscarelli is hearty with a capital H! It’s kind of like a cross between tacos and mac and cheese — so definitely make it for your hungriest of friends and family members and just dare them to say vegan food isn’t filling.
Mushroom 'Chorizo' Lettuce Tacos
SERVINGS:4
These lettuce tacos are a family favorite in our home, and I’m sure they’ll be in yours, too. When making this recipe you might want to make an extra batch of the mushroom “chorizo,” and store it in the fridge to enjoy with other recipes, like we do. It adds great flavor and a nutritional boost to any meal.
Ingredients
MUSHROOM CHORIZO
- 1 cup sliced mushrooms, any type
- 3/4 cup raw walnuts
- 6 jarred sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Pinch of cayenne pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
TACOS
- 1 head butter lettuce, leaves separated and stemmed
- 1/2 cup canned corn kernels, drained and rinsed
- 1/4 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
- 1/2 avocado, sliced
- Minced fresh parsley, for garnish
- Lemon wedges, for servingPreparation
For the mushroom "chorizo":
- In a food processor, combine all the "chorizo" ingredients and pulse until crumbly, stopping to scrape down the sides several times.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the "chorizo" and cook, stirring frequently to prevent burning, for about 5 minutes, or until browned and cooked through. Remove from the heat.
For the tacos:
Spoon the chorizo into the lettuce cups. Top with the corn, tomatoes, and avocado and garnish with parsley. Serve with the lemon wedges alongside for squeezing over the top.
This "chorizo" crafted by Beyoncé's nutrition coach, Marco Borges, is created with umami-filled mushrooms. He usually makes an extra batch and stores it in the freezer to make more tacos later. It is, after all, a family favorite in the Borges house, too.
Rainbow Quinoa Bowls
COOK TIME:20 minutes
PREP TIME:10 minutes
SERVINGS:2
This colorful and nutritious quinoa bowl is loaded with protein, vitamins and fiber. There’s no better way to eat your veggies! The quinoa, kale, chickpeas, corn, tomatoes and avocado go together perfectly for a meal that is complete, balanced and full of flavor.
Ingredients
QUINOA
2/3 cup uncooked quinoa
Sea salt
LEMON-TAHINI DRESSING
- 1½ tablespoons tahini
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- Pinch of garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
BOWLS
- 2 cups chopped stemmed kale leaves
- 2 carrots, shredded (about 1 cup)
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/2 Hass avocado, sliced
- 1 cup canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup canned sweet corn, drained and rinsed
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Sesame seeds
Preparation
For the quinoa:
Rinse the quinoa in a fine-mesh colander and drain well. Transfer the quinoa to a small saucepan and add 1⅓ cups water and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 12 to 15 minutes, until the water has been absorbed. Remove from the heat, and let stand, covered, for 5 minutes. Uncover and fluff the quinoa with a fork.
For the dressing:
In a small bowl, whisk together the tahini, lemon juice, garlic powder, salt, and 2 tablespoons water.
To assemble the bowls:
Divide the quinoa, kale, carrots, tomatoes, avocado, chickpeas, and corn between two bowls. Season with salt and pepper. Top with the dressing, garnish with sesame seeds, and serve.
Source today.com
