Becoming Vegan: Some Preliminary Thoughts

After being vegetarian for six years and then fully embracing meat again for the past 3 years I have decided to go cold-turkey vegan. I know this will not be an easy attempt but I am sure that the positives will outweigh the difficulties.


1. I'm still going to eat honey. It is not something that I consume regularly and I buy my honey from reputable sources which care for and protect their bees.

2. After reading this opinion piece I know I am not going to be too hard on myself. As someone who eats a lot of dairy products I know that I will slip up. I am also going to accept free food and drinks even if they have dairy in them, I am a student and free food is free food. However, I will not eat any meat, or products that came from the death of an animal.

3. I am doing this for health reasons first, and environmental/ethical reasons second. As someone who has breakouts, asthma and just generally could be in better health I want to see how a vegan diet will impact me. I am also intrigued about how this will impact my mental health.

4. Trying a vegan diet means that I have to cook and prepare meals, something I have got out of the habit of doing. I live in a small town and have a student budget, meaning I don't have access to pre-made vegan meals or food. I'm hoping this will allow me to try new foods and experiment with different flavours. I am way too fussy for a 21 year old, this needs to change.

5. As I am trying to be vegan for health purposes I won't be too focused on the other aspects. I own leather items and will continue to use them. I am already conscious of ethical purchasing and will continue to be so.

6. For me to be successful I will have to plan my meals somewhat in advance, which is something  have been interested in doing for a while. This means I need to schedule grocery shopping and preparing meals into my routine and university/work balance.


- I plan on writing update posts about how I am doing and also some recipes I have made -

Tomato and Quinoa Soup

I love adding quinoa, aka the super high in protein wonder grain, to my boring cans of tomato soup but today I decided I was going to go one step further and make my own tomato soup! The soup takes around twenty minutes to make, meaning it's a quick, easy and healthy dinner.

Ingredients
(serves two people)
50g of quinoa
10 decent sized tomatoes
canned tomatoes
garlic puree

olive oil
seasonings

You will also need a blender or food processor. 

Before putting the quinoa to cook I recommend you soak it in water for at least five minutes to get rid of the dirt taste and soften it. Then place in a pan with boiling water, put the heat on medium and leave to cook for fifteen minutes.

In a saucepan heat up the olive oil, I use a garlic infused oil to add more flavour, vegetable or sunflower oil can be used as a substitute. 

Whilst the oil is heating up chop the tomatoes into small chunks and add to the saucepan. After a few minutes add the canned tomatoes. Bring it to the boil and then simmer.

Once the tomatoes have boiled blend them so there are no big chunks of tomato and then return to the saucepan. Then add the garlic puree and seasonings. I used chilli powder, basil, oregano and a pinch of salt, but you can use any ones you like. Heat until it is a desirable temperature, I like mine 'scald your tongue' hot. 

The quinoa should be ready by now; drain and add to the tomatoes. I recommend using a fine sieve and putting a sheet of kitchen roll over the bottom before you drain the quinoa as it is very small and likely to fall straight into your sink! 

Stir the quinoa and tomatoes together and then serve. I served mine with garlic toast and a salad. 


I'll definitely be making this in the future and using the leftovers for lunch in the coming days. I'm also going to use quinoa in another soup recipe in the coming weeks so keep your eyes out for it!

Lemon Drizzle Cake Bars

These cake bars have the perfect combination of sweet and sour. Plus because of their relatively small size they make a great and not too indulgent snack!

Ingredients;
4oz caster sugar
4oz margarine (at room temperature)
4oz self-raising flour
3 medium eggs
lemon juice

    Preheat oven to 200^. Beat eggs together.

     Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

                                                                              
Add the egg to the mixture and mix together. Repeat with 3-4 teaspoons of lemon juice,               depending on how lemon-y you want your cakes.

 Pour mixture into a square or rectangular tray and place in oven for around 20 minutes. Whilst    that's baking you can make the 'drizzle' part of the title.

Lemon Syrup;
200g of caster sugar
50ml of water
lemon juice

Boil the sugar and water in a pan until the syrup is clear. Let cool for ten minutes and then add   two teaspoons of lemon juice. Once cooled pour over cake and once it's absorbed cut the cake into rectangles.

Arrange on plate in however fashion you want, I went for the traditional jenga!

Macaroni Cheese

A particular favourite of mine. Easy to make and even easier to eat.

Ingredients 

For the sauce;

1oz Butter, 1oz plain flour, 250ml milk, cheddar cheese and seasonings.

Fusili pasta, breadcrumbs and even more cheese.

1. Boil the pasta and put the grill onto high. Then melt the butter over a medium heat.

2. Add the flour, it will form a weird looking paste but don't worry it's meant to! Keep over the hob and stir for a 3-4 minutes.

3. Take off the heat and gradually add the milk. The mixture will form a creamy sauce. You can go from here and use this basic sauce as a white sauce if you'd like.  

4. Add the grated cheese and season. I added some mozzarella to make it more luxurious but the cheddar is good on its own as well.

5. Mix the pasta with the sauce and spoon into a heat proof dish. Sprinkle generously with cheese and breadcrumbs. Place under the grill for five minutes or until the top is crunchy. 

6. Enjoy your delicious macaroni with vegetables or garlic bread.

Chorizo and Pepperoni Pasta

This past week I decided to start eating meat again, after more than six years of being a strict vegetarian. My way of easing myself back into eating meat is by creating healthy and delicious meals. 

Ingredients

For the sauce;

Pasata, garlic, olive oil, tabasco, tomatoes, basil, oregano and a pinch of salt.

Fusili pasta, chorizo and pepperoni.

Chop the tomatoes into chunks and fry in the olive oil with the garlic. Put grill onto high and put the pasta onto boil.

Add the pasata, tabasco, herbs and seasonings. Heat on medium for 2-3 minutes. 

Slice the chorizo and pepperoni into bitesize pieces and add to the sauce. Continue to heat the sauce for 2 minutes. 

Spoon into heat-proof dish and top with cheese and breadcrumbs. Pop under grill for a few minutes until the top is crusty. 

And there you go!, a delicious and easy pasta. I had mine with garlic bread but it would go well with a salad.