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Recipe: Vegan zucchini soup with corn and coriander
Another soup for me to use up one of my least favourite vegetables: zucchini. This time I came up with a vegan zucchini soup with corn and coriander based on the flavour of Peruvian green tamales. As with my zucchini and leek soup, this one is vegan (therefore automatically dairy-free), gluten-free and low in calories. It is also low in protein so I recommend adding some protein or eating it as a side dish.
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Recipe: Vegan zucchini and leek soup
I have a confession to make: I don’t like zucchini. I can eat it, but it’s not my favourite vegetable. I find it has to be either roasted or sautéed in olive oil for me to like it. This vegan zucchini and leek soup has enough flavour to make me actually want to eat zucchini all day long. This soup is vegan (therefore automatically dairy-free), gluten-free and low in calories. It is also low in protein so I recommend adding some protein or eating it as a side dish. If you’re not vegan, feel free to add some grated hard cheese such as Parmesan or Pecorino for added flavour.
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Recipe: Vegan mash
If you love mashed potatoes but can’t or won’t eat dairy, this vegan mash recipe is for you. Even if you’re partial to traditional mash, you should give this version a go. People wanting to veganise the classic potato mash, which often contains butter, cream and/or milk, will use margarine and non-dairy milk instead. However, there is a better (read: healthier and tastier) way of doing it! A good vegetable stock (homemade or otherwise) and extra virgin olive oil add a ton of flavour and a silky texture to the mash. I used Dutch cream potatoes but you can use your favourite potatoes for this recipe. If you’re looking for…
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Product review: Slendier konjac pasta and rice
As its name implies, Slendier is a brand of food products designed to help with weight loss. Slendier konjac pasta and rice come in different styles to suit your culinary needs. What is konjac? The dictionary tells us konjac is “the swollen underground stem of a herb that grows in parts of Asia and is often used for adding fibre to food, or the herb itself.” (1) Konjac is very low in carbohydrates and very high in a type of fibre called glucomannan, which is linked to several health benefits, including appetite control and digestive health. Slendier konjac range All Slendier konjac pasta and rice style products come in 2-serve…
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Plant-based burgers
Plant-based burgers are becoming more available in Australian supermarkets and fast food chains. Read on to find out which burger options are out there, what are their ingredients and their nutritional breakdown. Plant-based vs vegan It is common to use the terms “plant-based” and “vegan” interchangeably. However, plant-based does not necessarily mean vegan. Instead, it means that is predominantly vegetables, fruits, grains, nuts and other plant foods (you can argue here if this is to be determined by volume, weight or energy percentage). Vegan means no animal products whatsoever. Having said that, most food products that are advertised as “plant-based” are actually vegan. The interest in both terms has experienced…
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Oat milk comeback
Oat milk is back! I probably tried it for the first time 10-15 years ago. The oat milk comeback is evident now that coffee shops have it on display and/or announce it on the blackboard. Oat milk comeback evidence I used the trusty Google Trends to check how interest in oat milk has changed over the past 5 years. Worldwide, interest has increased in the past few years. The first peak in the graph below is from January 2018, with another big peak in January 2019. In Australia, however, there are a lot more peaks and valleys, the first of which in the past 5 years happened on January 2015.…
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5 easy vegan swaps
Last week we spoke about red meat, eggs and dairy, but what if you choose not to eat any animal products? The following 5 easy vegan swaps can help you navigate this style of eating. 1. Yoghurt These days there is a wide variety of dairy free yoghurt in supermarkets. These are generally made with coconut or almond milk. However, note that the flavour, texture and, most importantly, nutrient content are not the same as real yoghurt. 2. Parmesan cheese Probably the most popular hippie health food is nutritional yeast. This is because it has an umami flavour that helps fill the void left by the absence of cheese, especially…
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Recipe: Garbanzos con acelga (chickpeas with silverbeet)
Garbanzos con acelga (chickpeas with silverbeet) is a traditional Spanish stew. This recipe is gluten-free, high in fibre and vegan if you use vegetable stock. Like many other dishes from Spain, this one has been adopted and adapted in Peruvian cuisine. We tend to make it with ají panca instead of tomato paste, and serve it with rice instead of bread. My unorthodox contribution is that squeeze of lemon juice at the end to add brightness. Most importantly, the vitamin C from the lemon will help you absorb the non-haem iron present in the chickpeas and the silverbeet (a.k.a spinach in Australia). Last but not least, as with any stew,…
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Dairy-free yoghurt
Is “dairy-free yoghurt” an oxymoron? If you’re of the opinion that nut/legume milk is not milk, then maybe you think dairy-free yoghurt cannot be called yoghurt. However, if you think that the bacteria defines the food, then yeah, making yoghurt out of soy/almond/coconut milk qualifies as yoghurt. Lastly, if you prefer looking at nutritional content, you might be against this nomenclature. Read on and find out. What is yoghurt According to the Merriam Webster dictionary, yoghurt (or yogurt) is “a fermented slightly acid often flavored semisolid food made of milk and milk solids to which cultures of two bacteria (Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus) have been added”. (1) Oxford dictionary…
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5 misconceptions about vegan
These days vegan, a.k.a. plant-based diets are all the rage. Veganism is normally regarded as a morally superior and/or healthier lifestyle. However, there are a number of arguments for it that are not objectively true. Keep reading to clarify these 5 misconceptions about vegan. 1. Vegan = healthy A vegan diet is not inherently a healthy diet. In particular, vegan fake meats, fried foods and confectionery are not healthy at all. 2. Vegan = sustainable All-plant diets are not inherently sustainable. It takes resources to grow wheat, corn and soy, the major components of vegan diets. There is a lot of packaging involved and fuel consumed to get some vegan…
