Beth's Vegan Menu
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By Beth in the Communications team
Being vegan doesn’t mean you’re limited to just raw veg and a bland, boring diet. Whilst trying out veganism, I’ve used so many new recipes all with exciting flavours – it’s been so much fun!
If you’re thinking about giving the plant-based lifestyle a go but don’t know where to start, here’s one day in my week to give some inspiration…
Breakfast
I must have breakfast – I can’t function without good food and a large black coffee to start the day. I’ve been enjoying soya yogurt with berry compote and oats recently, mixed together in the morning for a creamy, chilled ‘porridge’. It’s sweet and super tasty, here’s the recipe:
Ingredients (serves one)
2 tbsp soya yogurt – I like the plain one, but the vanilla is tasty too.
½ cup oats – I use Flahavans or any other organic oats.
½ cup berry compote – I made mine by stewing some frozen berries in a pan with a little water and some coconut sugar until they were thick, sticky and almost jam-like.
Method
Just pop it all in a tub or jar, layer it up or arrange it like I have and refrigerate until you’re ready to eat. By keeping the oats in their own area of the tub, I was able to stop them going soft until I mixed it all together.
Other breakfast ideas include:
Avocado or garlic mushrooms on toast, great for the weekend
Mango and banana smoothie is fab if you want something quick, blend half a mango with a banana and some orange juice
Baked beans on potato waffles
Protein pancakes – I love this recipe from veggie runners.
Lunch
We’re really lucky that our office is near some awesome delis and cafés that make the most incredible vegan meals. There’s a chip shop that do ‘tofish’, a pizzeria with vegan cheese and a falafel shop, so there are lots of great options. I always go out for lunch on Fridays because it’s my treat day.
I take packed lunches to work every other day, prepped the night before and kept in the fridge. I’ve shared my miso soup recipe below – it’s hot, comforting and packed full of noodles, veg and a hint of chilli. Perfect for winter.
If you’re not keen on a particular veg or want to leave out the ginger then go for it – the recipe below is easily adapted to your taste. Add some extra firm tofu too if that takes your fancy!
Ingredients (serves one)
2 tsp white miso paste
1 tsp ginger (chopped)
2 mushrooms (diced)
1 spring onion (chopped)
2 slices of chilli (red or green)
A handful of greens (I use spring greens or kale – chopped)
¼ diced pepper (don’t use green as it’s quite bitter)
Handful of coriander
½ nest of rice noodles
1tbsp soy sauce
300ml hot water
Method
Put all the ingredients in a jar or tub and add the hot water. Stir to dissolve the miso paste and break up the noodles. Leave for a couple of minutes, covered, until the veg and noodles soften.
I also really like cooking risotto or pasta for lunch as they’re so versatile and keep well in the fridge. A few minutes in the microwave and you’ve got a hearty bowl to keep you going throughout the day.
For a splash of colour, beetroot risotto is fab. It’s also packed full of flavour and nutrients. And you can’t beat pesto pasta for those days when only carbs will do – Tideford do some great ready-made vegan pasta sauces – check them out here.
Dinner
I live at home with my parents and younger sister, so cooking plant-based meals that the whole family will enjoy has been a challenge, as we all have different preferences when it comes to food.
We always have a Monday night curry and this vegan version pleased everyone – we always make our own curry paste as it’s so much fresher and more fragrant than pre-made ones.
Serves four
Ingredients for the paste
Half a handful of cashew nuts
1 tsp grated ginger
1 diced onion
1 clove of garlic
½ diced pepper
1 tsp curry powder
½ tsp chilli powder (maybe a tad less, depending on your taste)
½ tsp ground coriander
½ tsp turmeric
½ a chilli – deseeded
Juice of ½ a lime
Handful of fresh coriander
A good slug of oil and a dash of water
Ingredients for the curry
1 tin of coconut milk
1 sweet potato (diced)
1 bag of spinach
Broccoli florets
Mushrooms (chopped into quarters)
Method
Fry the onion and garlic then whizz together in a food processor with the rest of the paste ingredients until smooth. You may need to add extra water to thin it out if it struggles to blend.
Pop your sweet potato in a large pan with a dash of oil and cook until it starts to soften.
Add the paste and cook for a couple of minutes, coating the potato.
Add all the veg apart from the spinach, and then stir in the coconut milk.
Bring to a gentle simmer until the veg softens – around 15 minutes. Once cooked through, add in the spinach and stir to help it wilt.
Serve with rice or on top of a jacket potato with extra coriander.
Snacks
Snacking is a huge part of my day (I love a good snack). Just a nibble between meals to keep me going and satisfy cravings.
I like apple slices with peanut butter, celery with hummus and you can’t beat a cheeky biscuit with a cup of tea around 3pm.
My favourite snack has to be sweets and chocolate, in moderation of course. Our partner, The Vegan Kind, has the best vegan selection - check them out here.
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