The organisers of Veganuary were very clever when they set up this awareness month a few years ago.
Granted, the only other option, if it was about fitting in with the name of the month, was to have it in February (Veganuly just doesn’t right does it?) but January really is the perfect time.
After all, with the excess of the Christmas season (and let’s face it this is getting longer each year) people are ready to do something different, hence why Dry January has become so popular, although you will not find this chef taking part as this month is miserable enough without alcohol to get you through it!
Veganuary makes sense. By this stage you have probably already eaten enough meat to never want to see a cow, pig or chicken again, so what better for body, soul and mind to go meat-free for the month.
Probably the hardest ‘sacrifice’ however will be giving up other animal products, such as eggs and dairy and perhaps even wool and leather if you are going ‘full vegan’.
It’s actually not as hard as it seems. For example, there are now plenty of good alternatives to animal milk. There has been an explosion in recent years of coconut milk, almond milk and hazelnut milk, and the same goes for cheese.
Granted, vegan eggs don’t quite hit the spot of ‘normal’ eggs, but you can’t have everything and how many eggs do you actually eat in a month anyway? It’s probably not as many as you think.
There’s actually loads of amazing vegan recipes waiting to be tried and as politician once said, ‘you’ve never had it so good’ so why not give it a go?
Here’s a recipe to whet your appetite.
Broccoli, chickpea, coriander and rice
Ingredients:
4 cups broccoli florets
2 cups cooked rice (white, brown or red, whatever your preference)
1 oz chickpeas drained, rinsed, patted dry
½ cup sliced green onions
¼ cup sliced almonds
¼ cup chopped coriander
For Dressing:
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp pineapple juice*
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp soy sauce
1 small garlic clove, minced
¼ tsp red pepper flakes
salt and pepper to taste
Method:
- Steam broccoli for 3 to 5 minutes, just until tender. Add broccoli, rice, chickpeas, green onions and almonds to a large bowl. Set aside.
- Add all dressing ingredients to a small bowl and whisk with a fork until well combined. Drizzle dressing over rice mixture and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper as desired.
- Sprinkle chopped coriander on top and serve warm.
About Neil Shaefer
Marketing & Communications Executive of SK Foods.
Your food. Our Passion.
