All over the world, people are embracing mindful and compassionate consuming. It seems more people than ever before care both about the external environment and what they put into their bodies. There are many ways people are practising this mindfulness, but veganism is gaining popularity at a rate of knots. Google’s trend mappers say there’s been a 90% increase in vegan searches in the past year. Vegans embrace ethical living by abstaining from the consumption of any animal products (such as dairy, butter, eggs, meat, chicken, fish and even honey). But they also exclude products that involve any form of animal exploitation and cruelty, be it for food, clothing or any other purpose. The prospect of ‘going vegan’ is daunting when you think of all the products we use daily that may involve some animal ingredient or other. But long gone are the days when delicious and ethical were mutually exclusive. Try these scrumptious vegan recipes and feel the goodness course through your body.
(serves 4)
This rich and creamy chocolate mousse is packed with guilt-free goodness. Hear that? Guilt. Free.
2 ripe avocados
5-10 dates, pitted and chopped
¼ cup strong, hot coffee
½ cup cacao powder
½ tsp vanilla extract
1 Tbsp Xylitol or any sweetener of your choice
¾ -1 can coconut cream (shake can vigorously before using)
Pinch of salt
½ tsp cinnamon
Pinch of white pepper Pinch of cloves
Method:
Soak the dates in the hot coffee until soft and then drain.
Combine all the ingredients (including the dates) in a blender and blend until smooth and silky.
Divide among ramekins or small cups and refrigerate until cold and set.
Dust with cacao powder before serving.
(serves 6)
Everybody loves a good shepherd’s pie. Even vegans.
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
250g button mushrooms, sliced
1 thumb-size piece of ginger, finely grated
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp Pimento Allspice
Pinch of salt
Pinch of white pepper
6 baby marrows, sliced
2 tsp mild or hot curry powder
2 cups frozen peas-and-corn mix
1 can lentils, drained
2 Tbsp tomato paste
2 tsp brown sugar
Juice of ½ a fresh lemon
Few sprigs fresh thyme, leaves stripped
For the mash:
6-8 large potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped
¾ can coconut milk
Salt and white pepper to taste
Method:
Start with the potatoes for the mash by placing them in a large pot with water and some salt and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until potatoes are soft and tender. In the meantime, start with the bulk of the recipe. Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until translucent. Then add garlic, mushrooms, ginger, cumin, Allspice, salt, white pepper, baby marrows and curry powder and cook until the vegetables are soft and tender. Add the peas-and-corn mix, lentils, tomato paste, brown sugar, lemon juice and thyme and let it cook for a few more minutes. You can add a little vegetable stock or water if it seems too dry and let it slowly simmer until most of the liquid has evaporated. In the meantime, set the oven on 180 ̊C, drain the potatoes and mash them in the same pot with a potato masher. Stir in the coconut milk and add salt and pepper to taste. Transfer the curried mix to a baking dish, spread the mashed potatoes over and bake in the pre-heated oven for 15 minutes. Put the oven on grill for a further 5 minutes to brown the top. Serve warm.