the GREATEST HEALTHIEST TASTIEST veggie recipes ever ‘I create food that people want to eat that just happens to be healthy and low fat.’ Dan Green, TV Chef Lean cuisine withDan Green I was pretty miserable as a teenager because I was so fat. I was about 4 stone overweight and I had no idea about health and nutrition so I just used to eat all the wrong foods. One day I finally decided I’d had enough... I started reading through books and magazines to try to learn more about food and how it worked. This led to me making recipes and experimenting with healthier ways of cooking. As a result, I lost nearly 5 stone over the next few years and I grew to love cooking with different herbs, spices and flavours. Gradually I developed my own recipes and I began to be asked to help friends and family and colleagues at work. I really worked at learning all about nutrition because the key to all this was to be healthy. There is no point being thin and unhealthy. Nor is there any need to eat boring foods. Half of the meals I make, you wouldn’t even realise they were good for you! I’ve kept the weight loss for 8 years now – and it also had another spin-off. I was lucky enough to be taken on by a top model agency and I modelled for about 4 years in magazines, newspapers and TV commercials. However, I realised that modelling was not where my heart lay. I really wanted to continue learning about healthy eating and nutrition – and to continue helping others to lose weight. It was always at the back of my mind how miserable I had been when I was fat, and I know that many people feel the same way. I just wanted to help others feel good about themselves and to help them re-educate their whole way of thinking when it came to food. I do not believe in diets but a change of life approach. My focus is also on the maintenance which can be as difficult as losing the weight to start with. I’ve adapted my favourite foods to low-fat healthy versions. I hope you enjoy these delicious and healthy vegetarian recipes! 5 good reasons to go veggie... According to a detailed report by the World Cancer Research fund and the American Institute for Cancer Research, vegetarians have been shown to have lower overall mortality, lower risk of heart dsease, lower obesity, and longer average life expectancy than the general population. Eating meat exposes you to all the nasty substances in the bloodstream of intensively farmed animals, such as antibiotics, hormones and possibly even BSE. Animals naturally form close bonds with each other and experience a range of emotions, but on modern farms they are treated as meat products and slaughtered at a very young age. ‘Farmed animals consume vast quantities of water, beans and grains, whilst people starve. Much as we have awakened to the full economic and social costs of cigarettes, we will find we can no longer subsidise or ignore the costs of mass-producing cattle, poultry, pigs, sheep and fish to feed our growing population.’ Ed Ayres, editorial director of the Worldwatch Institute, Time Magazine One quarter of the earth’s surface is wasted as pasture for livestock, while wildlife habitats dwindle. The Nutritional Benefits of an Animal-Free Diet Fancy adding extra years to your lifespan? Want to know the best foods to eat for optimum health? Welcome to the animal-free diet! Whilst the media may be confused about what food we should eat (on Monday soya is scary, by Friday it’s our saviour), science is not similarly confused. A huge body of scientific evidence now shows us that a wellbalanced, 100% plant-based diet is the ideal vehicle for the promotion of human health. Based on wholegrains, pulses, fruits, vegetables, seeds and nuts, it is these foods that provide all the essential nutrients – vitamins, minerals, essential fats, protein, starchy carbohydrate and fibre – that we must take into our bodies if we want not just to survive, but to thrive! The average Western diet by contrast - based on meat, milk, saturated fat, sugar and salt - is deficient in many essential nutrients. And if you do not give the body what it needs then you are likely to become ill – evidenced by spiralling rates of diet-related diseases such as obesity, type II diabetes and heart disease. Following a balanced vegan diet means you are at less risk of suffering these conditions. So what types of food provide the body with some of the key nutrients such as protein, calcium and iron? The problem with protein in the Western diet is actually more to do with eating too much than eating too little! Plantbased diets provide sufficient protein from grains (e.g. rice) and pulses (e.g. beans) and these contain all the amino acids (building blocks of protein) that we need. What of the mantra that says dairy = calcium = strong bones? Along with exercise, calcium is crucial for bones but green leafy vegetables, seeds, nuts and calcium-fortified soya milks all provide calcium, too. Plant foods help the body retain the calcium in the bones – more so than dairy products. Is red meat necessary for iron? Definitely not! Iron is found in dried fruits, wholegrains and pulses while vitamin C (from fruits and vegetables) aids its absorption. Obtaining a vital daily source of vitamin B12 on an animal-free diet is often seen as problematic but, in fact, many foods are fortified with it – breakfast cereals, margarines, yeast extracts and soya products. Then there are the seaweeds and sea vegetables for iodine; brazil nuts for selenium and linseeds (flax) and rapeseed oil for supplying the essential (good) fats people mistakenly believe are only supplied by oily fish. Balanced animal-free diets are rich in taste and variety and can easily provide the body with all its nutritional needs. The tasty recipes in this booklet prove that saying goodbye to meat, eggs and dairy products is the way forward for health and, of course, compassion. Laura M Scott, RNutr., MSc Nutrition Foot-note: Sherry, wine and beer are often ‘fined’ (meaning cleared/clarified) by using one of the following: bone marrow, egg albumen, fish oil, gelatine, isinglass (from the bladder of fish), milk or milk casein. There are non-animal alternatives to this process and some wines etc. show that they are animal-free. The Co-op, for example, clearly label their own alcoholic drinks that are free from animal products and processes. Tbsp = tablespoon = 15ml / Tsp = teaspoon = 5ml Ingredients 2 packets of ready-made flour tortillas or fajitas Marinated tofu 2 x 250g/8 oz pkts firm plain tofu – cut into 1/2 inch thick strips 8 tbsp soy sauce 4 cloves garlic – peeled and crushed 2 wine glasses medium sherry 1 tsp flaked chilli or 1 fresh chilli - chopped 2 tbsp olive oil Salsa Bunch fresh coriander leaves - chopped 8 medium tomatoes - chopped 1 red onion – finely chopped 1 /2 red chilli – very finely chopped 1 clove garlic – peeled and crushed Juice and zest of 1 lime or lemon Salad 1 /2 mauve cabbage – finely shredded 2 grated carrots 1 red pepper – de-seeded and cut into thin strips 1 yellow pepper – as above Guacamole 2 2 1 1 1 large avocados – mashed tbsp plain soya yoghurt red onion – finely chopped lemon – zest and juice clove garlic – peeled and crushed Serves 4 MexicanTofuFajitas Make individual wraps with the tofu strips, salad and dollops of salsa and guacamole. Stir together soy sauce, sherry, garlic, chilli and oil. Put the strips of tofu in the bottom of a grill pan (having removed the grill rack) and pour marinade over. Leave to marinate for at least an hour. To cook: heat grill to high and place grill pan containing marinated tofu under the heat. Grill for approx 20-30 minutes until all the marinade has evaporated, turning tofu once halfway through. Alternatives: Use 2 packets smoked tofu, cut into 1/4 inch strips. Oil both sides very lightly and grill on high for approx 10-15 minutes until slightly crisp. (Turn halfway through.) Alternatively, buy 4 packets of marinated tofu - no cooking involved! (Different varieties of tofu are available in health food shops and larger supermarkets.) For the salsa, put chopped onion, tomatoes, coriander and red chilli in a bowl. Add garlic and the zest and juice of lime or lemon. Stir and keep in fridge till needed. (To get the zest - and no bitter pith use the finest part of a grater and only grate off the very outer surface.) Mix all the salad ingredients in a bowl and set aside. To make the guacamole, mash the avocado, add all other ingredients, mix well and put in serving bowl. Making it at last minute will stop the avocado turning brown (the lemon will help to prevent this). Ingredients 500g (1 lb) cous cous – follow cooking instructions on packet 1x 410g (16oz) tin chickpeas – drained and rinsed 1 large red onion – finely chopped 1 head of broccoli – cut into small florets 75g (3oz) cherry tomatoes – cut in half 75g (3oz) fresh french beans – cut in half 75g (3oz) baby corn Fresh chillies, to taste – chopped finely Moroccan Chick Pea Stew With Cous Cous In a large wok or saucepan heat the oil and cook onion for 2 minutes. Add the cumin, coriander, garlic and chilli. Stir over a medium heat for 23 minutes; make sure it does not burn. Turn down heat and add the stock, chickpeas and grated ginger. Stir and cover, cook over a low heat for 10 minutes. Now add the florets of broccoli, beans, tomatoes and baby corn and stir mixture. Cook covered until vegetables are heated through and soft enough for individual taste. When cooked, garnish with coriander and serve with cous cous. 3 cloves garlic – peeled and crushed 2.5cm (1in) piece fresh ginger – grated 1 tbsp ground cumin 1 tbsp ground coriander 1 tbsp olive oil 1 veggie stock cube dissolved in 500ml (1pt) boiling water Handful fresh coriander – roughly chopped Serves 4 Ingredients 1 pkt brown rice 1 large butternut squash – peel, cut in half lengthwise, de-seed and cube 200g (7oz) frozen peas 400g (14oz) spinach – washed 400g (14oz) tin tomatoes – chopped 2 onions – chopped 2 cloves garlic – peeled and crushed 1 veggie stock cube dissolved in 375ml (3/4pt) boiling water 1 tbsp olive oil 1 tsp black mustard seed – if unavailable use white mustard seed 1 tsp ground cardamom – or 5-6 roughly crushed whole pods 1 tsp ground coriander 1 tsp garam masala 4 dry curry leaves – if available Butternut Squash Curry Heat the oil in a large pan over a medium heat. Add the mustard seeds and cook until they pop. Add the onion, garlic, cardamom, coriander and cook for 1 or 2 minutes. Add butternut and tomato and cook for 8 minutes. Heat the stock and add along with curry leaves and garam masala. Cook on low heat until butternut is soft, approx 20-30 minutes. For the last few minutes add the spinach and peas and stir until spinach has wilted and peas are heated through. Serve with brown rice. The golden rule for fluffy brown rice: 1 coffee mug brown rice (organic is best) to every 11/3 coffee mugs of cold water. Use a coffee mug approx size 250ml (9fl.oz) Each mug full of rice will make enough to serve 2. Rinse the rice well. Drain rice and place, with the measured water, in a large heavy based saucepan with a wellfitted lid. Bring the rice to the boil with the lid off. Lower the heat and simmer VERY SLOWLY for 40 minutes with the lid on. All the liquid will have been absorbed and rice cooked to fluffy separate grains. Serves 4 Ingredients 2 x 250g/8oz packets of non-egg noodles – cook as directed on packet 1x 250g (8oz) packet of smoked tofu – cut into small cubes Bunch spring onions – chopped 500g (1lb) portobello mushrooms – chopped roughly 1 red pepper – de-seeded, and finely chopped 2 cloves garlic – peeled and crushed 1 tbsp of sesame oil Teriyaki glaze 6 tbsp dry sherry 3 tbsp soy sauce 3 tbsp water 1 tbsp sugar Japanese Noodles With Portobello Mushrooms & Teriyaki Glaze In a large saucepan heat the water to cook the noodles. While this water is heating make the glaze by putting all the ingredients in a pan and cook over a full heated ring. Turn down heat once glaze is hot and stir constantly until thick – about 10 minutes. Take off heat and leave aside. Take a wok or large saucepan and put in sesame oil. Over a high heat add the mushrooms and garlic, stir all the time. When starting to sizzle and the water from the mushrooms starts to evaporate, add the red pepper and cook through, then throw in the spring onions and tofu. Allow to warm through. Turn off heat and put lid on pan to keep mixture warm while cooking the noodles. Cook noodles, as directed, in the already-boiling water and drain. Stir the noodles into the mushroom mixture along with the teriyaki glaze. Serve straight away. Serves 4 Ingredients 3 large sweet potatoes – peeled Sprig of rosemary – taken off stalk Fresh ground black pepper 1 tbsp olive oil Burgers 2x 400g (2x14oz) cans butter beans, drained and rinsed 6-8 spring onions – chopped 1 clove garlic – peeled and chopped 2.5cm (1in) piece of fresh ginger - grated 1 small red chilli Handful fresh coriander leaves 1 lemongrass stalk – top and tail it, then smash it under handle of a knife and chop 1 lime – juice 1 tbsp soy sauce 100g (3.5oz) plain flour Olive oil for frying Fresh ground pepper Thai Bean Burgers & Sweet Potato Wedges Pre-heat oven to 180˚C/350˚F/Gas Mark 4. Cut the potatoes into wedges, oil a baking sheet, place on wedges and turn in the oil. Sprinkle with rosemary and pepper. Bake for approx 20-25 minutes. In a blender/processor put the garlic, ginger, chilli, coriander, smashed and chopped lemon grass, lime juice and soy sauce and whiz until smooth paste. (If you don’t have a blender/ processor chop the ingredients very, very finely). Roughly mash the butter beans, add the chopped spring onions and paste, mix well and mould into burger-shaped patties. Put the flour on a plate and season with fresh ground black pepper. Gently turn the patties in the flour to coat. In a large frying pan add the oil and fry the burgers on a high heat for a few minutes each side. Serve with a delicious fresh salad. Serves 4 Ingredients 3 avocados – chopped A sophisticated, Saturday night dinner party menu – Starter 6 large tomatoes – chopped 6 spring onions – thinly sliced 1 small red chilli – finely chopped Juice of 1 lemon Handful fresh basil – chopped Tomato sauce 1 x 400 (14oz) can tomatoes 1 clove garlic 1 small red chilli To garnish 4 slices of very thinly cut toast, or store-bought Melba toast 2 tsp sesame oil Handful fresh parsley – chopped small Tomato & AvocadoTowers Put chopped tomatoes, basil, and chilli in a bowl and mix well. In another bowl, chop the avocados with the lemon juice and add sliced spring onions. Mix well. To make the tomato sauce, place all three ingredients in a blender or food processor and whiz until smooth. Leave aside in a bowl. Make one tower per person. If you don’t have a professional serving ring you can make your own by cutting the top and bottom off a 400g tin/can to use as a frame. Place serving ring/tin in the middle of each dining plate and spoon in a layer of the avocado mix then the tomato mix. Lift the ring off – carefully! - leaving a tower. Spoon the tomato sauce around each tower. Top the tower with a quarter of toast and drizzle with a little sesame oil. Sprinkle with a little parsley, salt and freshly ground black pepper. Serves 4 as a starter Ingredients 320g (12oz) risotto rice 2 veggie stock cubes dissolved in 1 litre (13/4 pts) water 2 onions – finely chopped 3 sticks celery – finely chopped, or 3 carrots – grated 250g (8oz) frozen peas 1 glass of white wine (optional) 2 cloves garlic – peeled and crushed 125g (4oz) fresh asparagus tips 2 tbsp olive oil Handful fresh basil leaves rolled up and chopped A sophisticated, Saturday night dinner party menu – Main Course Asparagus Risotto Wash asparagus tips. Bring stock water to the boil and cook the asparagus in it for about 3-4 minutes, then remove and set aside. Keep stock on low heat. In a large frying pan or saucepan heat oil and cook the garlic, onion and celery or carrots for a minute or two, add the risotto rice and stir this into the vegetable and oil mixture so that it is well coated. Add wine if using and allow to sizzle, turning mixture constantly. Now start adding the hot stock into the rice mixture a ladlefull at a time and stir well. When this stock has been absorbed add the next ladle-full. Carry on until all stock is used up and rice is cooked. Should take approx 20-25 minutes. Five minutes before the end, add the peas and asparagus and allow to warm through. Take off heat, fold in basil and season with freshly ground black pepper to taste. Serves 4 Ingredients 1 loaf thick-slice, soft, white bread or whole loaf cut into 1/2in slices. A sophisticated Saturday night dinner party menu – Dessert 250g (8oz) strawberries Asian Summer Pudding 100ml (3.5fl.oz) orange juice 1 largo mango – peeled and stoned 1 papaya – peeled and de-seeded 1 x 400g (14oz) tin lychees – drain and keep juice aside. If using fresh lychees, use 10-15, skinned and stoned 1 tsp sugar – but leave out if using tinned lychees Carton soya cream or soya ice cream Alternative fruit suggestions: 3 kiwis: cut in 1/2 & scoop out flesh 1 pomegranate: cut in 1/2 and scoop out seeds The longer this is made in advance the better – preferably the day before. Use either a pudding bowl or 4 separate ramekins. Blend the strawberries to a pulp (with the sugar if not using tinned lychees) by mashing or in a food processor and mix in the orange juice. Cut up rest of the fruit small and set aside. Remove the crust and dip slices of bread in the strawberry/orange mix and line pudding basin or ramekin with it. Scoop in the chopped fruit mix and put slice of strawberry/orange juice bread on top. Place a plate on pudding basin and weight down with something heavy (a full food tin or proper kitchen weight). Leave overnight in fridge so all flavours mull and basin shape will hold. To turn out: take off weight and plate, place the serving dish you wish to display your pudding on over the pudding basin, hold tightly and turn over. Very carefully lift off basin and hopefully, your fruit-soaked bread pudding will ease out and keep its shape. Slice and serve with soya cream or ice cream. Also offer lychee juice in a small jug. Serves 4 Ingredients 4 large, red onions 1x 400g (14oz) tin lentils – drain and rinse 6 slices day-old wholemeal bread – rubbed through hands and broken into crumbs 250g (1/2lb) fresh chestnuts – shell, peel and chop coarsely (or use vacuum packed whole chestnuts) 4 sticks celery – finely chopped A few sage leaves – finely chopped Sprig thyme leaves – taken off stalk Sprig rosemary – taken off stalk Handful fresh parsley – chopped Olive oil Salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste Serves 4 Chestnut stuffed roasted onions Sunday roast with a twist! Serve with sesame spinach and potato & parsnip cakes. To make stuffing (this can be made in advance and kept in fridge over night): Preheat the oven to 160˚C /325˚F/Gas Mark 3. Place breadcrumbs in a shallow baking tin and bake in oven until golden, approx 10-15 minutes. Take out and allow to cool. In a large saucepan heat enough oil to cook the celery and herbs (except parsley), over a moderate heat, until celery is soft. Add chestnuts and cook a further minute. Add the lentils and breadcrumbs to the chestnut mix. Stir in parsley, salt and pepper. Let stuffing cool completely. For the onions, chop off tops and keep aside. Peel, then chop off bottoms so they will sit on a flat surface. Use your hands to rub a little oil over surface of onions. Sprinkle with pepper and roast at 180˚C/350˚F/Gas Mark 4 for 20 minutes – or until they start to soften. Take out of oven and when cool enough to handle, push out the centres, leaving a hollow shell to take stuffing. Chop up the residue onion and add to stuffing. Fill the hollow onions with the stuffing. Sit the onion tops back on and bake in the oven for a further 30 minutes. Roll any residue stuffing into balls, cook with the onions and serve on the side. Ingredients Sesame spinach 1 kg (2.2lb) spinach – chop if large leafed 1/2 a veggie stock cube dissolved in 120ml (4fl oz or 6 tbsp) boiling water 2 tbsp soy sauce 2 tbsp sesame seeds 2 tsp sesame oil Potato & parsnip balls 500g (1lb) potatoes 500g (1lb) parsnips 8 spring onions – thinly chopped 1 clove garlic – peeled and crushed 3 tbsp plain flour 2 tbsp fresh chives – finely chopped Olive oil Sesame Potato & Parsnip Balls Spinach Crush the sesame seeds in a pestle and mortar or coffee grinder. Wash spinach well. In a large saucepan put in stock water and sesame oil. Bring to the boil and fold in spinach a handful at a time. When spinach has wilted – should only take a few minutes – turn off heat and fold in the soy sauce and sesame seeds. Alternative serving suggestion: use spring or winter greens. Fresh ground pepper and salt Serves 4 Preheat oven to 220˚C/425˚F/Gas Mark 7 (or 200˚C/400˚F/Gas Mark 6 if fan-assisted). In a large pan, parboil (half cook) half the potatoes and take out, leaving the rest to cook right through. Grate the parboiled potatoes (when cool enough to do so). When the rest are cooked thoroughly, drain and mash. Grate the parsnips and combine all the ingredients, season with pepper and salt to taste. Make into walnut size balls. Place balls in a greased baking tin and bake in the hot oven for 10-15 minutes. Serves 4 Animal Aid:what we do Animal Aid is a dynamic and effective animal protection group, promoting a compassionate, humane lifestyle. We campaign peacefully against all forms of animal abuse from factory farming to fur, from hunting to animal experiments. 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