It’s no surprise to hear that going for a plant based diet can be good for you. The benefits of fruit and vegetables is well known, and the UK’s five-a-day campaign recommends everyone gets at least five portions of fruit and vegetables a day. Easy right? Well not quite — a recent survey found the average Briton only eats 2.7 portions of fruit and veg a day! UK diets revolve around meat so much that I’ve had friends tell me they couldn’t go vegan because they wouldn’t know what to eat. To make things easier, here are five simple tips I used, to help you reduce your meat intake, and maybe even make the transition to vegan one day:
Try new things. Don’t just stick to the same few veg you know, instead try to pick up something new every time you shop. Whether that’s an interesting fruit to liven up your dessert or a new veg that you’ve always wanted to try, this will naturally increase your range of recipes.
Eat the rainbow. Vegetables come in every colour of the rainbow and the more you eat, the more nutrients you’ll have. What’s more, the more colourful your plate, the more you’ll want to eat it. From red tomatoes to blue corn, white daikon to Kale so dark it’s almost black, you’re sure to find something you love and have a plate that looks amazing!
Eat More Beans and Legumes. Beans are so versatile and a great source of protein. Try adding them to soups or stews or simply have them as a side dish. Thanks to also incredibly cheap, you might even find your food bills go down!
Make a list of your favourite meat based dishes and then investigate substitutes. You can still have your favourites, just makes some easy swaps. For example, if you like chicken consider having tofu instead or if beef is your thing, try some mushrooms, while well prepared jackfruit can work well in the place of pork. The key here is to focus on flavours and textures that are similar to the foods you currently enjoy.
Experiment with vegan substitutes. As meat-free lifestyles have become more popular, many companies have realized that they can have a whole new customer base by introducing vegan versions of their products into the market. Try simple swaps to vegan mayonnaise, cheese, or other alternatives in your cooking and you might find you can still enjoy your favourite foods just made plant based!
Today’s dinner ties in with point two in this list – eat the rainbow. It’s bright, colourful pink comes from beetroot and everyone loves it, even those who claim to hate beetroot! Packed with essential nutrients, beetroot is a great source of fibre, folate (vitamin B9), manganese, potassium, iron, and vitamin C. What’s more, If you’re looking for an incredibly easy, tasty, and child friendly dinner then this is it. If you use precooked beetroot, you can have dinner on the table in less than 15 minutes. Topped off with a herby, nutty sprinkle, and served with a seasonal salad or maybe even some garlic bread, you’ll have the easiest dinner you ever made and some seriously happy diners!
- Makes: Serves 4
Ingredients
For the Pasta:
- 260g Beetroot, well scrubbed
- 350g Pasta (we use gluten free spaghetti)
- 3/4 Cup Cashews, soaked
- 3 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp Nutritional Yeast
- 1 Garlic clove, peeled
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- t tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 tsp Salt
For the Herbed Crunch Sprinkle:
- 1/3 cup Walnuts, roughly chopped
- 2 tbsp Fresh Mint, chopped
- 2 tbsp Fresh Parsley, chopped
- 1 tsp crushed Chillies (optional)
- 1 tsp Lemon zest (optional)
Directions
If you’re using precooked beetroots then skip this first step and move straight on to cooking your pasta. I like to either roast my beetroot or cook them in the instant pot for an easy hands free method.
Oven method: Preheat the oven to 200 C (180 Fan/400 F). Trim off the stalks, drizzle with a little oil and wrap well in foil (no need to season yet). Bake in the preheat oven for 45 minutes, or until the beetroots have softened enough that a knife will sink easily into them.
Instant pot cooking: Pour a cup of water into the base of the pressure cooker before adding a trivet or steamer. Trim the stems from the prewashed beetroot and place onto the trivet. Cook on high for 28 minutes with a quick release and carefully remove the lid. The beetroots should be cooked and soft.
Cook the pasta according to packet instructions, but for a minute less so it’s a little al dente. Reserve approx. 300ml of the cooking water before draining.
While the pasta cooks, take a few moment to make the sprinkle. Roughly chop all the ingredients together on a board until well combined. Set aside in a small bowl.
Place your cooked beetroot into a blender along with the rest of the ingredients and the reserved pasta water. Blend until completely smooth.
Transfer the cooked pasta back into the pan and pour the sauce over the top, stir well. Taste and add seasoning as needed, adding a little more water if it feels a little thick. Serve in wide bowls topped with a generous serving of the sprinkle on top. Serve immediately with more of the sprinkle to pass at the table.
Notes
I find the chillies and lemon zest can be the more controversial part of the dish. While I love the extra notes they bring to it, if you’re cooking for children or anyone a little picky, then you may want to skip them!
Allergy Notes: This is naturally vegan, gluten free, and soy free but leans heavily on nuts for the creamy texture. If nuts are a problem for you, you can try subbing out the cashews for about 115g of firm tofu and add the pasta water gradually, until you’re happy with the texture. You can skip the walnuts entirely or sub them with toasted sunflower seeds for a similar feel.
If you have any allergies to the ingredients in this dish or have questions on substitutions, leave me a comment below, we love to hear from you!
