Meatless Monday Motivations

What is Meatless Monday?

The Meatless Monday trend has grown in leaps and bounds over the last few years and has led many people to adopting a fully vegan diet. Surviving on a diet devoid of animal products – including meat, eggs and cheese – does not seem appealing, but the reality of it is delicious, healthy, hearty food that bursts with flavour and harms no animals in the process. Meatless Mondays are the perfect excuse to dip your foot in the vegan pond and see if it works for you. We’ve found 3 great recipes packed with nutrients and flavour to help get you started:

With the holidays coming up, people tend to over eat, with most of the consumption being meats from braais and roasts! Meat has been linked to various types of health issues, so if you’re a die-hard meat lover, perhaps give your tummy a break once a week with these delicious treats.

Recipes

Spicy Dhall

Ingredients

• 1 cup red lentils
• 2 tablespoons ginger root, minced
• 1 teaspoon mustard seed
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander
• 4 tomatoes, chopped
• 3 onions, chopped
• 3 green chilies, seeded and minced
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon ground coriander seed
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup water
• salt to taste

Directions

1. Boil the lentils until they are soft.
2. In a pan, heat the oil and add mustard seeds. When mustard seeds begin to flutter, add onions, ginger, chilies, and garlic. Sauté until the onions and garlic are golden brown. Add coriander seeds, cumin and chopped tomatoes. Sauté the mixture well until tomatoes are well cooked.
3. Add water and boil for 6 minutes before adding your lentils and chopped coriander.
4. Remove from heat and serve with rice or naan.

Black Bean Soup

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 medium carrots, chopped
• 2 stalks celery, sliced
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed with press
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 3 cups vegetable broth
• 3 cans black beans, undrained
• 1 cup frozen corn
• Avocado chunks and coriander leaves, for serving

Directions

In a pan, heat the oil on medium-high. Add the carrots, celery and onion and cook for 6 to 8 minutes or until they start to brown, stirring occasionally. Add tomato paste, garlic and cumin and cook for 1 to 2 minutes or until garlic is golden and tomato paste has browned. Stir in 1/2 cup broth, scraping up any browned bits. Transfer the contents of the pan to a pot and let it cook on low for an hour. Remove from heat and top with coriander leaves and avocado to serve.

Stuffed Butternut

Ingredients

• 1 whole, large butternut, cut in half lengthwise with the seeds removed.
• 1 handful mushrooms, chopped
• 1 red onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 5 pieces sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
• 100 grams couscous
• 2 sprigs rosemary leaves, chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander seeds
• 1/2 handful walnuts, coarsely chopped
• olive oil
• salt
• black pepper

Directions

Using a spoon, score and scoop out some extra flesh from the length of the butternut. Finely chop this flesh and set aside. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a frying pan and add chopped red onion and garlic. Sauté them for a few minutes, then add coriander, chili, rosemary, the chopped butternut flesh and the sun-dried tomatoes. Cook for 5 minutes until tender. Add the mushrooms, season with salt and black pepper and cook for another 2 minutes. Stir in the couscous and walnuts, then spoon the mixture tightly into the 2 halves of the butternut and then press the halves together.

Rub the skin of the squash with olive oil, wrap it in foil, place in a baking tray and bake in the preheated oven for about 2 hours until the butternut is tender. The great thing about stuffed butternut is that you can stuff it with almost anything – try adding some chopped nuts for texture or dried cranberries for sweetness. Playing around with different combinations is always a fun and exciting food adventure.

Veganism seems challenging, but the great recipes, cruelty free vibes and awesome health benefits make it an extremely attractive lifestyle choice. Start by adopting Meatless Monday and see how you feel – the nutritional influx will have you glowing in no time!

We recommend that you consult with a medical professional before adopting a new lifestyle change, such as vegetarianism or veganism. Your medical practitioner should be able to guide you through the transition and advise on which supplements and boosters can help you make the change without impacting your health. Doctor visits can be expensive though, so take a look at some of our affordable medical insurance options – we offer both day to day and hospital cover, to assist with your transition to a healthier lifestyle.