Let’s face it, finding inspiration to cook up a gastronomy storm mid-week is hard, much less trying to eat healthily. Fueling your body with the proper nutrition after a long day’s work seems more like a punishment rather than a fun, creative pursuit.
However, as people all over the world become more concerned with reducing their environmental footprint and preserving the planet and its animals, plant-based food has never been so sexy. But choosing the right meal to cook can be as time-consuming as deciding on what Netflix romantic comedy to watch. To cut down on the time, we’ve created an actual converter (below) that will transform your favourite meals into a veggie-based delight.
To get you started, we’ve already sourced recipes of some of your favourite meat dishes that are mouth-watering eco-friendly meals, guaranteed to quench your appetite while whipping you out of that mid-week funk.
Mushroom and Lentil Ragu
This delectable pasta dish is a twist on the classic spaghetti bolognese. It features hearty mushrooms and lentils, providing its rich, layered taste that will have pasta lovers begging for more.
Also, this dish is incredibly versatile as you can pair it with your preferred pasta, whether it’s thick pappardelle, fine angel hair spaghetti or lasagna – anything goes! This recipe is pretty straightforward to make, as you’ll only need a pan, a large pot and a colander for your cooking utensils, and you’re ready to go.
You can find the full recipe here
Vegan Butter ‘Chicken’
This plant-based curry serves as a substitute for the signature Indian dish. Rather than using chicken, this recipe calls for tofu that’s been perfectly prepared to provide an extra chewy texture. However, the hero of the dish is the Garam Masala – a blend of several distinct Indian flavours, helping to pack a powerful punch.
This is a relatively quick recipe as you’ll fry up the tofu and combine the spices with coconut cream while letting it simmer for 5-10 minutes. For a great finishing touch, feel free to add some naan bread.
You can find the full recipe here
BBQ Pizza
If you’re craving some heavenly comfort food during the mid-week, then look no further than this take on the classic BBQ pizza. This innovative recipe combines plant-based hot dogs, dairy-free cheese, with fresh vegetables for its delicious smoky flavour.
If you take a shortcut by grabbing a store-bought dough, all that’s required to complete the masterpiece is slathering it in all the sauces and toppings; the more, the merrier. If you’re looking to upgrade this dish, feel free to add the herbed cashew-based sour cream as a dipping sauce too. Pizza lovers, take note.
You can find the full recipe here
Happy cooking!
