14 Jan Veganuary Doesn’t Need To Be A Challenge
Things can often be tight after the overindulgence of the festive season and then January comes, and everyone is talking about taking on the challenge of Veganuary however it needn’t be a burden on your purse!
November was World Vegan Month and we highlighted the benefits of adopting a vegan diet which included no animal cruelty, better for the environment and it has health benefits too. As great as going vegan sounds, it is often perceived as an expensive lifestyle choice however we’re here to say that’s not the case and that you may actually be choosing the healthier option by not choosing some of the more costly vegan dishes.
If you’re looking at taking on Veganuary our advice is avoid ‘vegan meat’ and instead look at making meals from scratch. With the growing popularity of vegan diets, supermarkets are now filled with ‘fake meat’ options however the issue is these can often be expensive and often aren’t that great for your health despite what is said about a vegan diet. ‘Vegan meats’ are processed foods and therefore it’s better to prepare your vegan dishes from scratch so you know exactly what’s going in them.
To get you started on your Veganuary, we’re sharing a ‘cook from scratch’ meal that won’t break the bank, Spiced Aubergine Couscous.
What You’ll Need:
65ml vegetable oil
1 large aubergine, cubed
1 tablespoon light olive oil
280g couscous
½ teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon chilli powder
375ml vegetable stock
1 small bunch of coriander, leaves and stems, roughly chopped
2 large handfuls of baby spinach
Lemon wedges, to serve
What You’ll Need To Do:
Heat the vegetable oil in a pan and add the aubergine ensuring that it is evenly cooked for 3 to 4 minutes, then place on paper towels to drain excess oil.
Heat the olive oil in a pan and add the couscous, paprika and chilli powder, cook for 2 minutes constantly stirring. Add the stock, bring to the boil and then remove from the heat and cover for 10 minutes.
Begin to separate the couscous with a fork then recover and leave for another 5 minutes.
Now combine all the ingredients, add the aubergine, coriander and spinach to the couscous, combine and then it’s ready to serve with a wedge of lemon!
If you’d like some more ideas for affordable, healthy vegan meals then why not arrange private cooking lessons with of our dinner party chef hire? Contact us today!
