“Veganuary” inspired and supported more than half a million people to try vegan during their 2021 campaign – with participants from over 200 countries giving it a go. Many people are already considering cutting down their meat consumption, and so Veganuary seems like a great opportunity to give yourself a challenge and see how you feel! Most of us love good food, so we thought we’d give you some ideas for meat free meals to try. Veganuary or not, these meals will knock your socks off!
Plant Based Lasagna. Can you go wrong with a good old home cooked lasagne with plenty of garlic bread? Of course not! And going vegan or eating plant based doesn’t mean you need to miss out on flavour either. You could make a vegetable based lasagne like this one https://www.bosh.tv/recipes/epic-lasagne or you could make your traditional lasagne with plant based substitutes, such as soya mince, nutritional yeast (for the cheesy flavours) and plant milk/butter for the white sauce!
Enchiladas. Fancy a taste of Mexico? The wonderful thing about vegan/plant based food is that you can still enjoy flavours from all over the World, and just incorporate more vegetables! Enchiladas, Fajitas, Chilli, Nachos, Tacos, Quesadillas, all of your favourite Mexican (or Tex-Mex) food can be made to suit a plant based diet. Just swap out the meat and dairy for plant based alternatives. For Enchiladas, we recommend making a veggie chilli for the filling, and adding some refried beans for extra deliciousness! You could also use a plant based chicken alternative if you’d prefer.
Moroccan Tagine. Lots of African food lends itself to a plant based diet extremely well. Traditional Moroccan food such as tagine, couscous, chickpea stew, hummus, and more, can be extremely vegan friendly! Other African cuisines such as Ethiopian and Eritrean are also great for veggies and vegans. A tagine is a North African stew that is slow cooked in a shallow earthenware cooking dish, with a tall lid. This is a great plant based recipe to try: https://www.themediterraneandish.com/moroccan-vegetable-tagine-recipe/ and it’s also delicious served with a plant based yoghurt dressing!
Pie & Chips. That’s right! Avoiding meat and dairy doesn’t mean avoiding a classic pie. The Mushroom & Ale pie from Yorkshire Handmade Pies, served with mushy peas, chips, vegetable based gravy (& onion rings if you want to go ALL out) can be a great substitute for a traditional Steak and Ale pie. The rich, earthy flavours of the mushrooms combined with the beautifully seasoned gravy will give you all of the satisfaction of a meat pie, without the need for meat! If you like to add your own gravy, there are several recipes available online for a plant based gravy. Our top tips are to add Marmite and/or a plant based “beef” Oxo cube. You could also try the Curried Cauliflower or the Plant based Chicken, Leek & Mushroom pie. Find the meat free pies here: https://www.yorkshirehandmadepies.co.uk/collections/vegetarian-vegan
Thai Peanut Noodles. A healthy, nutritious meal that is FULL of flavour! Add some fresh veggies for a great, crunchy texture, some chilli flakes if you like a bit of spice, and top with spring onions, sesame seeds and coriander (if you’re not one of those people who thinks it tastes like soap!). If you like, you can also add tofu or a plant based meat alternative such as chicken pieces. You can find plenty of recipes online for this dish, and it’s such an easy, yet seriously tasty dinner.
So there you have it, 5 meat free meal ideas to try!
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