Top 5 Staple Meals For Dinner

When becoming a vegan, it's important to know that you can still have easy, staple meals in your diet for dinner. So today I'm going to show you guys my top five dishes that I stick too whilst at university. 

1) Spaghetti Bolognese 

Ingredients:

1 onion 

2 garlic cloves

1 carrot 

2 celery sticks

1 red pepper

1/2 pack of mushrooms (I usually use button closed)

1/2 can sweetcorn

1 (or 2) cans of chopped tomatoes

1/2 pack soy mince (available at Tesco, Ocado and Sainsburys. Alternatively use a pack of finely chopped mushrooms)

Spaghetti (this brand is 20p in Tesco!!)

Salt and pepper

Nutritional yeast

Basil (optional)

garlic bread (optional. photos below show accidentally vegan products and from Tesco)
 

Method:

1) Preheat oven to 180oC for garlic bread.

2) Finely chop your onion, garlic, celery, carrot, pepper, mushrooms (and pack of mushrooms if you aren't using soy mince)

3) In a large frying pan add oil of choice (about 1Tbsp)

4) Add the onion and garlic and fry for 2-3 minutes until start to soften.

5) Now add in the rest of your vegetables, minus the mushrooms.

6) After 5 minutes, now add the mushrooms.

7) Once frying add the soy mince for a few minutes.

8) In the meantime begin to boil your spaghetti and place your garlic bread in the oven. 

9) Next, into the frying pan add your chopped tomatoes, sweetcorn, salt, pepper, nutritional yeast and basil.

10) Leave to simmer for 10-15 minutes. 

11) Once all is cooked plate up and enjoy the food!! Can also use vegan grated cheese on top (but if on a budget like me, that isn't always an option haha)

2) Stir Fry

Ingredients:

1 onion,

1/4 pack of tofu,

1/2 pepper,

Handful of broccoli florets,

1/2 can of sweetcorn,

Pak choy (if available)

Noodles of choice (I usually use brown rice noodles)

Dark soy sauce,

Salt & pepper,

Chilli powder,

Paprika,

Chilli flakes,

Sesame seeds

Method:

1) Roughly chop the onion, pepper, broccoli and pak choy.

2) Next, steam the broccoli until almost soft.

3) Meanwhile, drain your tofu and cut into chunk sized pieces.

4) Add the tofu to a frying pan with some oil.

5) Now add the chilli powder, paprika, salt and pepper to your tofu and leave to golden for a few minutes. 

6) Next, add your chopped veg.

7) Alongside this, boil your noodles for 3-4 minutes.

8) Once the noodles have been cooked and drained, add to the frying pan.

9) Finally, mix all together and add enough soy sauce to the pan.

10) Plate up and garnish with the chilli flakes and sesame seeds!

3) Lettuce burritos with falafel and tofu

Ingredients:

Falafel of choice (I usually use the 'Gosh' range)

1/4 cube of tofu

Mixed rice (or plain) 

Iceberg lettuce

May siracha 

Spices of choice

Method:

1) Fry your tofu in oil and spices of choice (I usually use chilli powder, paprika and black pepper)

2) Whilst cooking, heat up your rice in the microwave.

3) Next, heat your falafel for 30 seconds.

4) Plate up! Serve your rice, falafel and tofu in iceberg lettuce and add your mayo siracha on top. 

4) Fried veggies with nootch 

Ingredients: 

1 onion,

1 yellow pepper,

1/2 can red kidney beans,

1/2 can sweetcorn,

Handful of broccoli florets,

2 handfuls of kale,

1/2 box of mushrooms,

2 celery sticks,

Salt & pepper,

Nutritional yeast

Method: 

1) hop all veg into different sized pieces (just for some variety 😋)

2) Place the onion, pepper, mushrooms and celery into a frying pan with some oil (I usually use olive or coconut oil).

3) After the veg starts to soften, add the kidney beans, sweetcorn and kale into the pan for roughly 5 minutes. 

4) Now season with salt, pepper and nutritional yeast.

5) Finally plate up and enjoy! Such a simple meal and can be changed to whichever left over veggies you may have in the fridge. 

5) Pasta with veg

Ingredients: 

1 onion,

2 garlic gloves,

1 red pepper,

broccoli,

1/2 can sweetcorn,

2 handfuls of spinach,

1 can chopped tomatoes,

pasta of choice (I like wholemeal, but completely up to you!)

salt & pepper,

Nutritional yeast

Method: 

1) Dice your onion, pepper and broccoli.

2) Begin to boil your pasta and broccoli separately.

3) Add your onion, crushed garlic and red pepper to a frying pan along with some oil.

4) After a few minutes, add you sweetcorn and spinach.

5) Once your broccoli has steamed, drain and add to the frying pan and also add your chopped tomatoes.

6) Next, drain your pasta and put onto a plate.

7) Now add your seasoning and nootch to your pan.

8) Finally plate up on top of your pasta and enjoy!

Hope you guys liked this! If you did let me know 😊,

lots of love,

Em x