Apparently I do like beetroot! After all of these years of thinking that I didn’t like beetroot I had the most delicious beetroot nut roast in a pub today.
I am actually finding eating out during Veganuary a bit of a revelation. So many places are catering for vegans this month and so I am trying to take full advantage so that I can get an idea of how good vegan food can be and to hopefully open up some more ideas of what I like for my own cooking.
The biggest surprise for me so far has actually been a cauliflower steak that I had last weekend. I REALLY struggled to order it instead of my favourite lamb tagine, but not only did I really enjoy it but I didn’t have the slightest bit of food envy of my friends’ meat dishes.
My biggest disappointment with eating out however is the lack of vegetarian (let alone vegan), options for the kids. If you are lucky there might be a veggie burger or a pasta and sauce but mostly my boys have ended up having a meat or fish dish as the options simply aren’t there.
At home though we have had another good vegan week, a new lentil bolognaise went down a storm and a vegetable chilli (sweet rather than spicy) was also thoroughly enjoyed. My biggest win however is a butternut squash soup that you just roast in the oven for 45 mins and then blend. It was my saviour this week when I only had half an hour between clubs for the boys to eat. To bulk it out a bit I also served some amazing vegan meatballs (VIV ERA plant meatballs from Sainsburys) on the side which you just fry for 6 minutes while you warm up the soup. Quick, easy and super tasty!
We are building up a few options for dinners now but I have to say that I am really struggling for the lighter meal/lunch options, especially for the boys as they are not at all keen on salads or falafel and we have yet to find a vegan cheese that we like. So if anyone has any suggestions I am all ears, as at the moment all I can say is thank goodness for baked beans on toast and peanut butter sandwiches!
#plantbaseddiet #bethechange #sustainableliving
