More Recipe Ideas for Children who Decide to Become Vegan

Lots of feedback came in last week from families saying they enjoyed the recipe ideas I shared for children/teenagers last week. This week I am back with more recipes for children/teenagers who decide to become vegan. I am also on the look out for lunch box ideas as I will compile them together and share in a future blog. I love seeing how creative school lunch boxes really can be with such minimal effort so would love everyone to have a really good resource of ideas.

There is a wonderful woman in our area. Her name is Angel Yaffa and she has four vegan children. She has a Facebook page where she shares photos of the stunning food she makes for her family. The second recipe I share with you in this week’s blog is Angel’s take on spag bol). I tried out her recipe this week and tweaked it a little by using fresh tomatoes instead of passata and it really is delicious. Just like I remember spag bol to be. So if your children/teenagers don’t like lentils then this is a very good option. Visit Angel’s Facebook page.

The first recipe I share is a very simple Mexican meal with a flat bread that is so very versatile. Sara and Josh who attended the last vegan foundation cooking course created this recipe as their signature dish. Many children seem to like Mexican so I wanted to share this recipe with you as it is an easy one to freeze and can also be a great jaffle/toasted sandwich filler.

Can I ask a favour of you all? Can you please share this blog post and the last one with all those who you know have children. More and more children are deciding to leave meat out of their diet and I’m sure they will be so very grateful if you help them with their food choices. I am very grateful that my mum supported me in becoming vegetarian in my late teens.

Josh and Sara’s Tex Mex

Beans

500g black eyed bean (soak overnight and then cook)
1 onion diced
Chillies (optional)
4 cloves garlic finely diced
2 carrots julienned
2 zucchini julienned
Salt to taste
4 tsp of cumin seeds
4 or more tsp of smoked paprika
2 sprigs of oregano
200g cherry tomatoes halved
1 capsicum diced
Coriander for garnish
Lime wedges for garnish
Water as required
1 tbsp sesame oil

Ranch dressing

1 cup cashews soaked for 6 hours
1 cup water
Salt to taste
4 tsp nutritional yeast
2 to 3 tsp apple cider vinegar
½ tsp turmeric (for colour)

Flat breads

1 cup besan flour
1 cup water
Salt
Oil for frying

1. For the flat breads mix all the ingredients into a batter and let sit for 1 to 3 hours. When ready to cook heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan and spoon in 2 tbsp of the mixture to make one flat bread (odd shapes are fine). I can usually get 3 small flat breads in the frying pan at a time. Cook on one side for 4 to 5 minutes or until brown and cooked through. Flip over and do the same pressing on them so they cook right through.

2. For the ranch dressing. Blend all the ingredients in a blender until smooth.

3. For the beans, fry the onion, garlic, cumin, smoked paprika and oregano in the sesame oil until fragrant. All the chillies if using, then the carrots and cook for a few minutes. You can add a little water to help them cook. Then add the zucchini and cook for a further 5 minutes or until cooked but not too soft. Mix through the beans and add water to make it nice and saucy. Start with ½ cup and go from there.

4. To serve, mix through the raw red capsicum and cherry tomatoes. Cut up the flat breads in strips and the lime in wedges and place in a serving bowl. You can serve the ranch dressing on the side or drizzle on top.

Angel’s Spaghetti Bolognese

8 tomatoes
2 tbsp olive oil
1 brown onion
1 large carrot
1 stick celery
1 tbsp freshly chopped oregano
1 tsp freshly chopped rosemary
3 cloves garlic
300g Swiss brown mushrooms
200g shitake mushrooms
1 cup water
6 sundried tomatoes
Salt
1 chilli (optional)
Few fresh basil leaves chopped medium fine

1. Dice the tomatoes and place in a wok with 1 tsp salt and put on a lid. Let boil down until the tomatoes are cooked. Then take the lid off and let simmer until most of the liquid has evaporated.

2. Place the onion in a food processor and pulse until fine. Do the same with the carrot and celery. Then with the Swiss brown mushrooms and then the shitake.

3. Place the onion and salt in a frying pan with the oil and fry for a few minutes. Add the chopped rosemary and oregano fry for a further minute.

4. Place the processed carrots and celery in the frying pan and fry for up to 5 minutes. Then add the Swiss brown mushrooms and fry for a few minutes. Then add the shitake and do the same. Take the vegetables off the heat.

5. Cook the spaghetti as the instructions on the box suggest.

6. Place the cooked tomatoes with the sundried tomatoes in a blender and blend until thick and smooth. Place the tomato mixture into the veggie mixture.

7. Heat up the veggies and tomato and add the basil. Serve with the spaghetti and some vegan sprinkle

Don’t Miss Out on This Fabulous Training

May is just around the corner. May and June will be immensely busy for me as it is when the full vegan chef and lifestyle training runs. I still have two places left on the full training for anyone who might be interested. As I look through the syllabus, tweak things and book in all the guest facilitators I am reminded yet again of what a fabulous training this really is. If you have been thinking about this course but not quite sure, come along to the three day foundation course in April and then decide. I have one place left for the April Vegan Foundation Course.

Here is some feedback I received from the March Foundation Course.

1. What did you get out of the three days of the foundation course? Is there anything that stands out in particular?
How to be organised in the kitchen. Having simple sauces, chutneys and salsas on hand to transform a meal. To be adventurous with my cooking. To always taste the food as even following a recipe it turns out differently every time.

2. What did you think of Veet's Facilitating during the foundation module?
Great, Veet kept us constantly moving forward and encouraged us to be curious with our cooking.

3. Have you taken anything away from the three days that you are already implementing in your everyday life?
Loads! Masking tape to label all the goodies in the fridge! Easy recipes, I have made something every day since the course that we learnt or is in Veet’s recipe book.

4. Is there anything else you would like to further learn?
Everything! If I won lotto I’d be back to do the full chef course.

5. Was there anything that stood out to you that you did not know about but now do since doing the foundation course?
How to cook beans properly.

6. Was there anything you didn't like about the course?
No, it gave me more than I was expecting, a wonderful experience!

Thank you for making cooking exciting for me again :)
Suzanne Dent, New Zealand

Have a fabulous week everyone

Love Veet

Categories:Mains Kids Meals

Tags:Pasta Spaghetti bolognaise Mexican Beans mushrooms carrots Flat bread