Lunches & Light Dinners – Page 5 – Bit of the Good Stuff

Chickpea Nuggets with Home-Made Chunky Tomato Sauce

Published on April 16, 2018 by Sharon4 Comments

In today’s post, I’m sharing a recipe that caught my eye in this month’s Vegan Life magazine. These ‘Chickpea Nuggets’ have been a big hit with the family and we’ve made them multiple times in the past couple of weeks. They’re simple to prepare, packed full of nutritional goodness and budget-friendly too!

I had my first experience of vegan nuggets a couple of weeks ago at a fast food establishment in Valencia, Spain (yes, Valencia has vegan fast food joints! How cool is that?) The fast-food nuggets were okay, but the home-made variety win my vote. They just taste more like ‘real food’ to me. Plus they definitely make me feel better on the inside.

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Mexican Black Bean Rice with Spicy Sausage. Vegan. Gluten-Free.

Published on December 15, 2017 by Sharon15 Comments

In today’s post, I’m sharing a recipe for a savoury rice dish that’s simple to prepare, budget-friendly and ready in just 35 minutes. It’s been a big hit with my family and I hope you enjoy it too!

The inspiration for this dish was a picture that caught my eye in last month’s Vegan Life magazine for Arroz Con No-Pollo (a veganized version of the traditional chicken rice dish). Continue reading “Mexican Black Bean Rice with Spicy Sausage. Vegan. Gluten-Free.” →

Quinoa Winter Bowl with Roasted Vegetables, Cranberries and Balsamic Glaze

Published on November 20, 2017 by Sharon5 Comments

In today’s post, I’m sharing a recipe for a delicious quinoa bowl that’s just perfect for serving this time of year. It features roasted veggies, dried cranberries and crunchy pumpkin seeds, topped with a sweet balsamic glaze. We’ve been enjoying it as a light evening meal, with leftovers served for lunches later in the week. It can even be served cold, and Lucien’s been taking it to school in his lunchbox.

I must admit that I never used to be a fan of quinoa. I found the texture and flavour of plain quinoa quite strange and not particularly appealing. However, I discovered a couple of key steps that make it much more palatable…

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Family-Friendly Vegan Ranchero

Published on October 17, 2017 by Sharon11 Comments

Today, I’m sharing a recipe for a family-friendly vegan version of the Mexican classic ‘Huevos Rancheros’. The eggs have been replaced with golden cubes of pan-fried tofu which sit on a bed of rich, flavourful tomato sauce. I’ve toned down the chilli to make the dish kid-friendly (and ‘Sharon-friendly’ as I’m a complete heat wimp) but of course, feel free to crank up the chilli heat as high as you wish.

The inspiration for this recipe was the cover photo on the September issue of Vegan Life magazine. At first glance, Lucien and I were instantly attracted to this dish but, when we read that the recipe contained half a cup of green chillies plus three tablespoons of chilli powder, we knew it was going to be way too spicy for us. It didn’t deter me from giving it a try though, and I simply omitted the chillies to make it less spicy. Since the tomatoes, onions and garlic are roasted, they make the sauce rich and flavourful, so we really didn’t miss the chilli.

I first experimented with this recipe a few weeks ago and it was an instant hit with the family. We rarely eat the same meal twice in the same month, but we’ve made this one three times already! It’s quickly become a family favourite.

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Pulled Jackfruit BBQ Sandwiches

Published on June 20, 2017 by Sharon11 Comments

Today I’m sharing a recipe that caught my eye in the June edition of Vegan Life magazine. The recipe is for Pulled Jackfruit BBQ sandwiches. Don’t they look delicious?

I don’t know who started the pulled jackfruit craze, but it sure has taken the plant-based world by storm. I first tried it at a vegan fair last year, where it was served as part of a Tex Mex dish with nachos. I absolutely loved it and it’s been on my ‘to try at home’ list ever since.

So when I spotted this recipe in the Vegan Life mag, which had just a handful of ingredients and simple instructions, I was excited to give it a try.

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Fifteen Minute Ratatouille and Pesto Butter Bean Mash from Vegan in 15

Published on February 23, 2017 by Sharon5 Comments

In today’s post I’m sharing two recipes. The first is for a delicious, quick and easy Ratatouille. It’s a versatile dish which can be served myriad ways. My family’s current favourite way to serve it is with Seared Polenta. The polenta does need preparing in advance but it’s most definitely worth it. If time is of the essence though and you need a quick meal, how about serving it with some crusty pesto-topped bread, stirred through pasta or with a side helping of butter bean mash (recipe below).

So many options!

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