Broccoli Bolognese

The inspiration for this recipe came when out for dinner in an Italian restaurant one time my husband was eating his veggie spaghetti and I looked over and couldn't get over how much the head of the broccoli sitting there looked like ground mince! I wondered if I could turn broccoli into bolognese!
I am pleased to say that yes, indeed it really does work out, and it strangely does look similar to mince bolognese! Add some familiar flavours and you'll definitely have a very satisfying bolognese even without mince! We love this meal & have it frequently - especially when broccoli is $1.99/kg!

BROCCOLI BOLOGNESE

Serves 6

You'll need:
2 medium onions
4 garlic cloves
1 kg broccoli
1 teaspoon "beef" style stock powder (I use Massel)
1 Tablespoon mixed Italian herbs
700g jar tomato passata
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves

Optional to serve:
Nutritional yeast
basil leaves

Chop the onion and crush the garlic.
Dry fry together on a heated frying pan. Sprinkle over the stock powder. Cook until onion is translucent. 
Chop the broccoli as finely as possible, creating little crumbs with the broccoli head. You can add the stems if you would like to, or omit them.
Add the broccoli to the pan along with 1(ish) cup of water and cook until the broccoli is tender and most of the water is absorbed.
Stir through the passata and herbs. Tear the basil leaves and add them too. 
Bring the heat down to low and continue to cook - stirring frequently until the passata is warmed through.
Serve over pasta or potatoes, and with nutritional yeast and extra basil leaves if desired. 

Submitted for Healthy Vegan Fridays.

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The Same but Different

The great debate:

Feeding omni's and vego's in the same meal..... is it possible?

The answer is simply YES.

It might take a little bit more work but its not 'hard'.

Over Christmas I read a long debate on a discussion website about how many vego's still cook meat for their friends and family even though they hate doing it! 
I regularly have to practice this skill since there is NO WAY I could convince family members to eat vegan meals with me!
So in this post I'll give some practical tips on how to make meals that compliment both appetites!

Below you'll find a list of great ways that you can share a meal that is "The Same but Difference" - a phrase that my hubbie and I often have a little laugh about ;-)


Shepherds pies - made with lentils in place of the meat. Try this recipe for a fab lentil shepherd pie.

Enjoy a meal of mash and pies together. Pie fillings can be as creative or as simple as you please! Same goes for 'bangers and mash' - plenty of faux meat options to make easy similar meals.

Left - meat pie                                    Right - mushroom pie

           

Another easy option is to have burgers together. I love a good veggie burger! Why not try this lentil pattie recipe.

Bolognese - Try using a bean or lentil bolognese over pasta, along with a mince bolognese.

Meat balls are another great option that can easily be turned vego! Try using lentils, red kidney beans, okara or gluten flour to make meatless balls.

   Left - regular mince meat balls                           Right - okara 'meat' balls

Pizza! - this has got to be one of the easiest meals to share together. Vego pizza options are endless - just make sure you top it with pizza cheeze sauce.

Stir fry's are also easy to just make the same vegetable base & just top with either tofu or other.

Roast Dinner - can easily keep everyone happy - esp on a cold winters night. Veggie roast are endless, try using legumes of all kinds, nut roast or if you're having a lazy day there are some amazing premade store-bought roast available too.

Left - chicken roast dinner                                                                Right - seitan roast dinner

Baked Loafs - along with a meat loaf  you could serve a lentil loaf or bean loaf.

Lasagne - another great dish that can easily been turned veg. Try this version for a very 'meaty' option!!!

Check out this version of home-made 'Cheese and Bacon Muffin' breakfast:

Tofu bacon with tofutti cheese slice & hash browns. Now surely that is "The Same but Different" to an omni's meal!!!


Is that enough meals to make you feel like you can eat veg in an omni setting???

Better still - why not tell your friends and family about all the benefits of a plant-based diet???

You never know - they may just look at your meal and decide it's equally delicious!

Not only for their health, but for the many lives of animals that suffer for our dinner plates.

Decide on a vegan resolution you won't regret it!

Basic Lentil Bolognese

This bolognese is just delicious.

Its so simple to make, and its quick.

It compliments many bases such as pasta, zucchini noodles, and baked potatoes to name a few!

It reheats well so makes for great leftovers.

 That means it ticks all the boxes!

....So let's get started!

 Here's what you need:

• 1 onion

• 1 teaspoon minced garlic

• 1 teaspoon mixed italian herbs

• 1 carrot

• 1/2 capsicum

• 1 tin lentils

• 1 cup tomato cooking sauce

In a frying pan, saute the chopped onion with the garlic & the italian herbs. If you need to add a little water to stop them from sticking then do so.

Chop the carrot and capsicum into little cubes and when the onion is soft, add them to the pan. Cook until all vegetables are soft, adding little bits of water as needed so to not over-brown the vegetables, and so they don't stick to the pan.

Add the lentils and the tomato cooking sauce. Simmer for 5 minutes until warmed through. 

NB: In place of the cooking sauce, you can use a tin of tomato pieces & a Tablespoon of tomato paste if you prefer.

Serve over desired base.

Optional: sprinkle with fresh herbs such as basil or oregano.

Bean Bolognese

YUMMY!

To serve 2 You'll need:
200g spaghetti (or other pasta of your choice)
1 zuchhini
1/2 cup tvp
1/2 tin 4 bean mix
150g passata sauce (Italian tomato cooking base)
1 onion
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon dried oregano
fresh basil leaves to serve

Put the tvp in a bowl with 1 cup of bowling water & allow to absorb for 10 mins.
Bring a pot of water to the boil. Julienne the zucchini and add it to the bowling water along with the pasta. Boil for 12 mins or until al dente and then drain.
In a frying pan combine the chopped onion and the minced garlic. Saute until onion becomes translucent. Add the drained TVP and the beans. Stir in the oregano and the passata sauce. Lightly fry until all ingredients are warmed through.

Serve with torn basil leaves & a corn cob :-)
Very simple & very tasty.

Day 4 - Comfort Food

We all have comfort food don't we :-)
I love oats & pasta as my never fails.
So with that said, I bet you'll never guess what breakfast was today?!?!?!?

Oats cooked with half soymilk, half blueberry juice, a tablespoons flaxseeds & berries.
I love the mix of blueberry juice & soymilk.

Todays lunchbox:
Crunch and sip snack - grapes.
Morning tea - spinach crackers (I was told she didn't want dip with them!) and sesame snaps.
Sandwich - fresh tomato and basil.

Today's lunch salad was mixed baby spinach leave with capsicum, carrot & leftover lentil loaf :-)
Oh, i did top it with some hummus actually!
Followed by some grapes :-)  Enjoying the last of them before the season is over!

I made some water crackers with sundried tomato & roasted eggplant for afternoon tea.
I was reminded how much I love roasted veggies after my pizza last night!

As I mentioned earlier in this post, pasta is my favourite evening comfort food.

I made a bean and TVP bolognese for dinner tonight.

Does apple pie sound like comfort food? uh-huh!

Well for me, its better if its berry apple pie :-)