Category: Plant-based-diet

Delve into the world of plant-powered nutrition. Uncover the benefits of incorporating more plant-based foods into your diet, whether you’re a seasoned vegan or simply looking to add more greens. Find delicious recipes, health insights, and inspiration for a balanced and compassionate eating journey.

How to Make Vegan Mayo? Ready in 3 MINS

By Rachel

On August 11, 2022

In Plant-based-diet

The vegan diet has become a trend in recent years, and there are many reasons for its rise. However, for me, it’s the environmental issue more than anything else, as I believe a vegan diet is crucial in protecting the planet.

So in this post, I want to show you how to make homemade vegan mayo. You only need 4 key ingredients, no chopping, no cooking, and just in 3 minutes, you’ll be rewarded with delicious, thick, creamy vegan mayo!

People eat meat and think they will become strong as an ox, forgetting that the ox eats grass.
Pino Caruso

What is vegan mayo?

Mayo is an essential pantry staple because it is such a great flavourful food enhancer. Traditionally, mayo is made of egg yolks, oil, vinegar (or lemon juice) and salt. However, some people use the whole egg instead of just the egg yolk. Either way, the regular mayo involves animal products in the making, so vegans can’t consume it.

As for vegan mayo, it still uses oil, vinegar and salt. But egg yolks are replaced by one of the following vegan ingredients: unsweetened soy milk, silken firm tofu or aquafaba. Aquafaba could sound alien to you, but you might already have it in your kitchen cupboard – it’s the liquid from tinned chickpeas. It’s also referred to as chickpea water, chickpea brine, or garbanzo bean water.

How does vegan mayo taste?

Honestly, I can’t taste the difference between the regular mayonnaise (i.e. egg-based mayo) and the vegan version. Vegan mayo is also generally healthier than egg-based mayo because the vegan one contains less saturated fat (because it’s eggless). For the homemade version, you can also use healthier oil in the recipe, such as avocado oil or olive oil, for a milder flavour.

Can I buy vegan mayo from shops?

Yes. Today, you can get vegan mayo from any chain supermarket. Most big brands have launched their vegan mayo product, including Heinz, Hellmann’s and Nando’s. Some supermarkets also introduced their own vegan mayo brands, such as TESCO, ASDA and CO-OP. However, nothing can beat the homemade version as you can twist it to the exact taste you like.

Print Pin

Vegan mayo with chickpea water

Delicious, thick and creamy vegan mayo!

Course Side Dish

Keyword vegan

Prep Time 3

Cook Time 3

Cost £1.00

Equipment

1 measuring jug (has a capacity of 500ml at least)
1 immersion blender (food processor or food stand mixer with a whisk)
1 mason jar (or any glass jar to store the mayo)

Ingredients

60 ml aquafaba/chickpea water (see *note 1) (if you have more than 60ml chickpea water, just increase the quantity in the rest of ingredients)
250 ml sunflower oil (any cooking oil will do)
1 tsp vinegar (apple cider vinegar is my go-to. If you don't have this, just use lemon juice, either fresh or a bottled one)
½ tsp salt

Optional:

1.5 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dried mixed herb

Instructions

drain aquafaba (chickpea water/brine) from the tin
get the measuring jug and add aquafaba
add sunflower oil to the jug
add salt
add apple cider vinegar
add the optional ones (see above) you'd like
blend the ingredients (see *note 2)
store the mayo in the glass jar (see *note 3)

Video

Notes

*note 1: Not all the aquafaba (chickpea water/brine) can make a thick and creamy vegan mayo. I tried all different brands of chickpeas, and the one I have the most success rate is Morrisons chickpeas (400g). In other words, if your vegan mayo didn’t turn out as thick as the shop-bought one, then try a different brand next time.

Another thing is that make sure you use fresh aquafaba, i.e. as soon as it’s drained from the tin. Make sure it’s at room temperature, too. The fresher the aquafaba is, the higher the success rate you’ll have.

*note 2: Place the head of the hand blender at the bottom of the jug and turn it on high speed. Slowly lift the head of the blender until all the oil is incorporated with other ingredients. Once it reaches the consistency you like, you can switch off the blender.

*note 3: If you aren’t going to have mayo straight away, then store it in a glass jar. Put the lid on. If your kitchen isn’t too hot, leave the jar at room temperature for 2 hours, then put it in the fridge. That way, your mayo will even be creamier the next day.

tools and ingredients for making a vegan mayo

The verdict of vegan mayo

I served my homemade vegan mayo with french fries, vegan BLT, and potato salad at some of my dinner parties. Honestly, none of my guests can tell it’s vegan mayo – it tastes just like a real thing! They also said they’ll swap vegan mayo for their egg-based mayo after learning it can be healthier. I also think this is an effective way to show your friends/family members how easy it can be to adapt to a vegan diet, which doesn’t require them to give up their favourite condiments.

As for yourself, if you aren’t a vegan yet, you don’t need to stop eating non-vegan foods all at once. Instead, changing one thing at a time and gradually adapting to a vegan diet will have a higher success rate. Frankly speaking, I am still working on my way to being a full-time vegan, as the availability of vegan food varies when I travel to other places/countries. However, I don’t beat myself up on that as I know I’ve tried my best.

Lastly, I’d like to share a Chinese saying: ‘A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step‘. The notion of this proverb is a daunting task can usually be started with a simple thing. So, let your vegan journey begin with vegan mayo, and keep moving forward to achieve your goal.

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
Lao Tzu

How Cooking Vegan Dishes Can Reduce Your Energy Bills

By Rachel

On August 3, 2022

In Eco-friendly lifestyle, Plant-based-diet

With the rising cost of living recently, such as higher energy bills, we all try to find a way to cut down the payout on those bills. People are advised to switch off their standby appliances, turn off the heater, reduce water consumption and invest in double-glazed windows and better insulation. However, I think one thing that has been overlooked is that cooking vegan meals can also cut down our electricity/gas and water consumption.

How long does it take to cook a meat-based dish?

Take an example of cooking a chilli con carne. Regardless of preparation time, the typical cooking time for the beef chilli con carne takes around an hour, and so does the dish with other kinds of meats.

Why might cooking meat use more water?

Another thing to consider is that some people wash raw meats before cooking them (although it’s not recommended!) or blanch meat. When doing so, water is required. So cooking a meat-based dish could use more water during the preparation.

Cooking plant-based: less time and water

If you substitute meat with other plant-based ingredients, the cooking time will certainly be reduced hence the electricity use. Also, if you use tinned vegetables to replace meats, then no washing is needed. As a result, you save on the water bill, too!

Great things are done by a series of small things brought together.
Vincent Van Gogh

Does no meat mean no protein?

Some people might not like the idea of not having meat because they argue that they need to have meat for their protein intake. I can understand why people think this way because I used to think like that! I was brought up believing that meats and dairy foods are the only two sources I can get my protein. I am so thankful that I no longer have this false belief.

Are plant-based proteins expensive?

Today, there are plenty of plant-based proteins to choose from, such as chickpeas, baked beans, tofu and lentils. They are much cheaper than meats. And you might be surprised that some vegetables also contain protein, like spinach and broccoli.

bowl of spinach — Photo by Jacqueline Howell on Pexels.com

Additionally, they are healthier than animal proteins because they have less saturated fat and are higher in fibre. However, consuming a variety of plant-based proteins is key to ensuring a complete protein profile if you want to be on a plant-based diet.

Vegan chilli con carne with baked beans: preparation and ingredients

Now, I want to show you how quickly a vegan meal can be done. Even better, it’s packed with protein and nutrition. Of course, it’s tasty, too!

The day before:

Let’s say if I plan to cook this dish for Wed dinner. On Tuesday evening, before I go to bed, I like to put all the ingredients together on the kitchen worktops if they’re NOT required to be chilled. I also get the saucepan ready for the next day.

Preparation like this might not mean anything to you. Still, it’s an effective way to make sure we’ll get the cooking done the next day instead of ordering takeaway or getting microwave meals, which are more expensive and not so healthy as home-cooked meals.

When we have everything all together, we’ll feel more like cooking and not find an excuse not to cook because we’re tired or not in the mood.

You could also prepare the vegetables you want to use the day before. You can put them in containers and then have those containers in the same compartment in the fridge. So next day, when you’re about to cook, you only need to take those containers out and don’t need to figure out what vegetables you will use. Less mental work means you’ll get your cooking going quicker!

fresh vegetables: red peppers, green beans, mushrooms and onion

Print Pin

Vegan chilli con carne with baked beans

Tasty, healthy and quick one-pot wonder vegan chilli con carne

Course Main Course

Cuisine Mexican

Keyword baked beans, chilli con carne, vegan

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Servings 4 people

Cost £6

Equipment

1 saucepan
1 tin opener

Ingredients

1 tin chopped tomatoes (you can use the fresh ones if you prefer)
1 tin kidney beans, drained (or mixed beans)
1 tin baked beans
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp smoked paprika
3 garlic cloves
1 red or yellow pepper
2 to 3 tbsp cooking oil

Optional (or just use whatever vegetables need to be used up in your fridge)

100 gram mushrooms
50 gram green beans
1 onion (yellow or red onion)
50 gram peas (or frozen peas)
1 tin sweetcorn, drained
50 gram vegan mince (you can use frozen ones)
2 tbsp mixed dried herbs

Instructions

Open all the tins and drain the water from the kidney beans and sweetcorn
Chop all the vegetables. (See *note 1, *note 2)
Heat the oil in the sauce pan, add chopped onions and garlic, fry for 1 minute.
Add ground cumin, smoked paprika, and red/yellow peppers, and continue cooking for 2 minutes. (See *note 3)
Add those vegetables which might require longer cooking time, such as mushrooms, frozen peas etc.
Add kidney beans (or mixed beans), and cook for another minute.
Add chopped tomatoes. (and frozen vegan mince if you have some)
Add a bit of water if you feel there isn't enough liquid in the pan
Add 1 tbsp mixed dried herbs and 1 tsp balsamic vinegar to boost flavour (optional)
Add salt and pepper
Bring the liquid up to boil, then put the lid on and let it cook for 10 – 15 minutes. Make sure you set the heat at mid-low and stir the dish from time to time
Add a tin of baked beans five minutes before the dish is done
Add some chilli flakes if you like it spicier (optional)
Taste before serving

Video

Notes

*note 1: Chop mushrooms into chunks if you use them.

*note 2: If you like your green beans a bit crunchy, boil them in a separate pan. And only add them to the main dish five minutes before it is done.

*note 3: Adding spices at this stage will make the dish more flavorful. Also, turn down the heat when adding spices so the spices won’t get burnt.

Here you go! This dish takes around 20 minutes (compared to 1 hour with the meat dish), and it can easily serve for 4 to 5 people. I hope you’ll see how much electricity consumption will be reduced by switching to cooking vegan dishes.

Side dishes: what to serve with chilli con carne?

Bread: Yes, that’s right, especially with the first/end slice of a loaf of bread. The thick slice goes much better with this dish.

Tortilla chips: I usually go for this one when I have a pack of tortilla chips opened.

Pasta: If you have enough leftovers for the next day, then you just need to cook pasta to make it a complete meal.

I really hope you’ll give the dish a try! This will save your cooking time and reduce your energy bills. Moreover, not ordering takeaway/buying ready meals save us money, and we won’t add more non-recyclable food packaging.

Plant-based Diet: Eating for the Environment

By Rachel

On August 2, 2022

In Plant-based-diet

I believe a plant-based diet is crucial in protecting the planet. Research has shown that meat and dairy products fuel the climate crisis. So, the less we consume these foods, the more positive impacts we’ll have on the environment.

Is a plant-based diet expensive?

One argument about a plant-based diet is it usually costs more. So here I want to show you how economical a plant-based diet can be. And the easiest step to take is to start with breakfast.

Changing to non-dairy milk: cheap options

Nowadays, non-dairy milk and yoghurt have become more affordable. For example, the supermarket brands usually cost around £0.55 (1L), and even the branded ones, such as Alpro, you can get them for £1.00 (1L ) when they are on offer. Typically, chilled/fresh non-dairy milk cost more than long-life ones, but taste-wise, there isn’t much difference. So I always go for the cheaper option, the shelf-stored ones. Moreover, they won’t take up the space in the fridge.

As for non-dairy yoghurt, the supermarket brands are usually much cheaper. I think the important thing to remember is not to always go for the branded ones because that way, you would have a wider selection and can get the best bargains.

cheap non dairy milk — Photo by elif tekkaya on Pexels.com

white ceramic bowl filled with yogurt — Photo by elif tekkaya on Pexels.com

I always say that eating a plant-based diet is the secret weapon of enhanced athletic performance.
Rich Roll, ultra-endurance athlete

What do you need for a plant-based breakfast?

Once you have those non-dairy milk/yoghurts, it’s super easy to have a plant-based breakfast (or you can call it a ‘vegan’). My go-to breakfast is cereal with non-dairy milk or granola with yoghurt.

I like to have fresh, soft fruits with my granola breakfast. They could be peach, strawberries, raspberries, banana or kiwi, whatever soft fruits you have available. I know some people like to use dried fruit, but I found it’s a bit too dry for my taste. I prefer the moisture texture for breakfast. Besides fruits, you can also add some superfood powder, such as green/cacao boost or vegan protein powder, which are optional. In my coming post, I’ll share with you how to get superfood powders at a very affordable price.

Now it’s time to mix those ingredients: soft fruits, yoghurt, granola and superfood powder (optional). I think you know your appetite the best, so I am not going to give you the measurement for each ingredient.

However, I think it’s important to feel satisfied but not overly full after breakfast. So I would do portion control at breakfast, and the way I do it is to use the same bowl so that I know the right amount to put in the bowl. I would also usually have a cup of coffee for breakfast. And, of course, I would use non-dairy milk in my coffee.

With this recipe, you don’t need to add any sugar or syrup to make it sweet because fresh fruits and yoghurt have plenty of sweetness. Also, most granolas have added sugar already. Another nice thing about this recipe is that no cooking or heating is involved! The only bit of time you need to spend is chopping your soft fruits, but even with that, it will take you less than three minutes.

More ideas for a plant-based breakfast

I really hope you’ll give this recipe a try. You can check out the video below if you’re looking for more ideas for a plant-based breakfast. Feel free to leave comments, too!