Vegan Diet Challenge: Start the Vegan Diet with These Delicious Quick Meals within Your Budget (2016)

Chapter 3. Vegetarian Lunch Recipes

What’s good about vegan dishes is the fact that they are traditional food waiting to be discovered and transformed into gorgeous, easy to make, and healthy dishes. For one, pre-roasting carrots can bring out its natural sweetness that is evenly balanced with vegetarian cheeses and spices. And, a whole lot more veggies waiting to be discovered!

1. Eggplant Parmigiana with Roasted Tomato

Ingredients

· 6 beef tomatoes

· 9 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil

· 1 small onion, finely chopped

· 2 handfuls basil leaves

· salt and pepper to taste

· 3 tablespoons plain flour

· 400g small eggplants sliced into rounds

· ¼ cup applesauce

· 200g vegetarian mozzarella

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400F.

2. To make the lids, chop off the tops of the tomatoes leaving about a quarter of the way down. Remove the seeds, add a pinch of salt to the cavity, and set aside.

3. Heat the olive oil and fry the onion. Add in the reserved tomato pulp and put some basil leaves. Put salt and pepper to taste.

4. In a separate frying pan, heat the remaining olive oil and sprinkle the flour onto the plate and dredge the eggplant rounds in it. Dip each round into the applesauce and fry in batches.

5. Prepare to assemble your ingredients in each hollowed-out tomato. Start with the eggplant then top with a spoonful of tomato sauce, basil leaf, and mozzarella cheese. Repeat until the tomato cavities are full. Bake stuffed tomatoes for 25 minutes and drizzle with the remaining oil. Serve.

2. Spicy Roasted Carrots with Sesame and Paneer

Ingredients:

· 1 teaspoon cumin seeds

· 1 tablespoon coriander seeds

· 1 teaspoon black onion seeds

· 2 tablespoons sesame seeds

· 4 tablespoons groundnut oil

· 1 kg carrots, sliced thinly

· 1 tablespoons runny honey

· 2 green chillies, deseeded and sliced

· salt and pepper

· 200g paneer

For the dressing:

· juice of½ lemon

· sesame oil

· groundnut oil

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 200 F. On a dry frying pan, add the cumin and coriander seeds. Toast for 1 minute then roughly crush.

2. Toast the onion and sesame seeds following the same method. Mix all of these together with the groundnut oil, carrots, honey, chillies, and season with salt and pepper. Tip into the roasting pan for 40 minutes and let it cool.

3. For the dressing, combine all the ingredients and add to the carrots. Stir through and serve.

3. Baked Spiced Vegetables

Ingredients:

· olive oil

· 2 red onions, peeled and sliced

· salt and pepper

· 2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed to a paste

· 1 teaspoon ground cumin

· 2 teaspoons ground coriander

· ¼ teaspoons ground cloves

· ½ teaspoon allspice

· 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar

· 1 teaspoon oregano

· 400g cans chopped tomatoes

· 1 tablespoon sugar

· 3 red peppers, quartered

· 3 courgettes, sliced

· 2 aubergines, sliced

· ¼ cup applesauce

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. In a large saucepan over medium-low heat, heat the olive oil and add the onions. Season with salt and pepper and cook until softened.

2. Add the garlic, cumin, coriander, ground cloves, and spices. Stir for 1 minute and then chuck in the vinegar, oregano, tomatoes, and sugar. Leave to simmer.

3. Meanwhile, heat a little oil on a griddle pan and grill the red peppers, courgettes, and aubergines in batches. Transfer to the pan of tomatoes and let it simmer for 10 minutes. Put the vegetables in the oven and bake for 15 minutes.

4. Remove from the oven and combine the applesauce. Season with salt and pepper. Return to the oven for another 15 minutes and serve.

4. Roasted Vegetables

Ingredients:

· Large onions, chopped

· Thin-skinned squash

· Fennel, trimmed

· Button mushrooms

· Carrots

· Parsnips

· 4 cloves garlic

· 4 tablespoons olive oil

· Salt and Pepper

· 8 dates, halved and stoned

· 8 black olives, halved and stoned

· Firm tofu, cubed

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 F. Tip the squash, fennel, button mushrooms, carrots, and parsnips into a roasting tin.

2. Add the garlic to the vegetables, spoon the oil, and sprinkle into the mixture. Season with salt and pepper.

3. Put the mixture in the oven, mix, and roast. After 20 minutes, add in the dates, black olives, and tofu. Mix and return into the oven. Serve.

5. Spinach, Tomato, and Chickpea Curry

Ingredients:

· 1 tablespoon sunflower oil

· 1 clove garlic, chopped

· 1 small onion, finely hoped

· Fresh root ginger, chopped

· 1 tablespoon Bart Veeraswamy Moglai Curry Paste

· 400g can chopped tomatoes

· 410g can chickpeas

· 250g spinach, shredded

· Natural yogurt

· 4 tablespoons fresh coriander, chopped

Directions:

1. In a medium saucepan, heat the oil and cook in the garlic, onion, and ginger for 5 minutes or until softened and golden.

2. Mix the curry paste and add the chopped tomatoes. Simmer for 5 minutes until the sauce thickens.

3. Stir in the chickpeas and let it boil for 10 minutes. Toss in the spinach and let it simmer until it is cooked.

4. Serve with a spoonful of yogurt and drizzle with coriander.

6. Mexican Lasagna

Ingredients:

· 300 grams mushrooms

· 1 large onion, peeled and quartered

· 2 cloves garlic, crushed

· 1 green chilli, deseeded

· 1 green pepper, deseeded

· ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

· 1 teaspoon ground cumin

· 1 teaspoon ground coriander

· 4 tablespoons oil

· 1 tablespoon tomato puree

· 400g can red kidney beans

· 1 packet tortillas

· 500g crème fraiche

· 50g grated vegetarian cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 445 F.

2. In a food processor, combine the mushrooms, onion, garlic, chilli, pepper, cinnamon, cumin, coriander, and oil until the mixture looks like minced.

3. In a large frying pan, cook over high heat. Cook until the mixture begins to brown. Add the tomato puree and the beans. Season with salt and pepper.

4. Spoon half of the mixture in a baking dish and put into the tortilla. Put in some crème fraiche and cover with another tortilla. Sprinkle with cheese and put in the oven for 15 minutes. Serve.

7. French Onion Soup

Ingredients:

· 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

· 5 cups sliced onions

· 2 bay leaves

· 1 teaspoon dried thyme

· 1/8 teaspoon salt

· 5 cups vegetable broth

· 2 cups water

· 2 slices whole wheat bread, toasted and halved

· 4 teaspoons ground flaxseed

· Tofutti cheese

· Ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Heat a pot over medium heat. Add the oil and let it heat for 1 minute. Add the onions, bay leaves, thyme, and salt. Stir and cook for 10 minutes or until the onions are uniformly browned.

2. Add the½ cup of broth and cook at a brisk simmer for 3 minutes. Add the remaining broth and water. Let it simmer for 5 minutes. Remove and discard the bay leaves.

3. Ladle the soup into a big bowl and place half a slice of toast. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon flaxseed over each toast. Top with Tofutti cheese.

4. Broil the soup 6 inches from the heat source for 2 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly. Be careful not to burn the cheese. Season with pepper.