Veganuary
Emily, my thirteen year old, burger-loving kid, decided to give veganism a try for a month after watching the documentary What the Health? Now we are as carnivorous as they come in this household, but we support her 100%. She researched nutrition and recipes, and made a shopping list from which she chose all her groceries in which to get started.
In the podcast, Emily shares some of her experiences, benefits, and challenges so far - about 2 weeks in. She also chose her top recipes for me to post here, which most, as you will notice, have a decidedly Asian flair. These are ones the whole family have enjoyed. Eric and I have had fun helping her and teaching her to cook these foods and are so proud that she is committed to seeing this out. We will follow up with Emily in February to see how the rest of the month goes.
Her top recipes to date are:
Avocado Toast
(your basic but with her little twist)
Toast bread
1 avocado, smashed with a splash of lemon juice, black cracked pepper, and garlic salt spread on toast
Tomato
Microgreens
Red Velvet Breakfast Smoothie
INGREDIENTS
1 Cup Frozen Cherries
1 Cup Frozen Strawberries
1 Tbsp Cocoa Powder
1/2 Tsp Vanilla Extract
1.5 Cup Oat Milk
1 Tsp Beetroot Powder Optional
INSTRUCTIONS
Combine all ingredients in a blender until smooth.
Vegetable Stir-Fry
INGREDIENTS
For the stir fry:
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 cup carrots peeled and sliced
1 cup mushrooms sliced
1 cup broccoli florets
3/4 cup bell peppers sliced, I used red and yellow
1 cup snow peas trimmed
1/2 cup water chestnuts drained and sliced
3/4 cup baby corn drained and sliced
2 teaspoons garlic minced
1 teaspoon ginger minced
salt and pepper to taste
For the sauce:
1/4 cup vegetable broth can also use chicken broth or water
1/4 cup soy sauce
3 tablespoons honey
2 teaspoons cornstarch
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Heat the oil in a large pan over medium high heat. Add the carrots and mushrooms and cook for 4-6 minutes or until tender.
2. Add the broccoli, bell peppers, snow peas, water chestnuts, baby corn and 2 tablespoons of water to the pan.
Cook for an additional 3-5 minutes or until vegetables are tender and water has mostly cooked off.
3. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for 30 seconds. Season the vegetables with salt and pepper to taste.
4. In a bowl, whisk together the vegetable broth, soy sauce and honey.
Pour the soy sauce mixture over the vegetables and cook for 30 seconds.
5. In a small bowl mix the cornstarch with a tablespoon of cold water.
Add the cornstarch and bring to a boil; cook for 1 more minute or until sauce has just started to thicken.
Serve immediately, over rice if desired.
*Note: to make truly vegan you can sub maple syrup for honey
Ramen Stir-Fry
INGREDIENTS
2 packages of dried ramen noodles
2 tablespoons neutral-flavoured oil
1 heaping tablespoon of finely chopped ginger
2 cloves of garlic finely chopped
2 green onions chopped and white and green parts separated
2 carrots peeled and sliced into rounds
1/2 head of broccoli cut into florets
1/2 a red pepper cubed
1/2 a zucchini chopped
For the stir fry sauce:
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons vegetable stock
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 ½ tablespoons molasses
1 tablespoon sriracha
1 ½ teaspoons cornstarch
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Put a pot of water on to boil for the noodles. Meanwhile, chop all your veggies and combine the ingredients for the stir fry sauce.
2. When the water is boiling, add the noodles and boil just until the noodles separate but are still chewy – just a minute or so. It’s important to undercook the noodles as they will continue cooking in the sauce. Drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking processes. Set aside.
3. Heat the oil in a wok or large pan over medium-high heat. Add the ginger, garlic, and white and light green parts of the green onions. Fry, stirring constantly, for 10-15 seconds or until soft and fragrant but not browning.
4. Add the carrots and broccoli. Stir fry until beginning to soften. Add the red pepper and zucchini and continue stir frying until all the veggies are crisp-tender.
5. Add the noodles to the pan and pour in the sauce. Simmer, stirring, until the sauce is thick and covers the noodles and veggies. Stir in the green tops of the green onions and serve.
