Table of Contents

Table of Contents
Vegan Meaning What is a Vegan

What About Coffee and Chocolate?

Vegan as an Identity

Flexible Definitions Save Animals

Can You be “Mostly Vegan”?

The Case for a Vegan Diet

Stepping Toward a Vegan Lifestyle

What is a Plant-Based Diet?
Why Go Vegan? The Top Reasons Explained

Why Go Beyond Plant-Based?

Why Go Vegan for Your Health?

The Bigger Picture: How Eating Plant-Based Affects the Environment

A Word About Seafood

What to Expect When you go Plant-based / Vegan?

Lose Weight
Your Cravings Change
You Might Feel Gassy Or Bloated
More Energy
Glowing Skin
Nutrient-Nerd
Recipes
1. French Beans and Mustard Greens Salad
2. Herbed Couscous with Grilled Zucchini
3. Roasted Baby Potato Summer Salad
4. Best Hummus Ever
5. Lentils With Herbs and Grilled Veggies
6. Vegan Bolognese Lasagna
7. Vegan Spaghetti Bolognese
8. Mushroom Cream Pasta
9. Spinach with Mushrooms and Cream
10. Foul Mudammas
11. Rice Pudding - Rozz bi Laban
12. Oven Roasted Potatoes
13. Baked Falafel
14. Lunch Recipe - Basic No-Oil Hummus
15. Tofu Scramble
16. Sweet Potato Soup
17. Beetroot Soup
18. Zucchini Soup
19. Chickpea Egg-less Salad
20. Raw Falafel Salad
21. RAW FALAFEl
22. Sweet Potato Salad
23. Healthy Nut Salad
24. Stuffed Grape Vine Leaves (Waraa Einab)
25. Spiced Lentils with Mix Vegetables
26. Traditional Egyptian Okra
27. Lobia (Black-Eyed) Beans & Mushroom
28. White Beans in Tomato Sauce
29. Vegan Mahshy
30. Egyptian Molokheya
31. SWEET POTATO BURGER
32. Vegetable Lasagna
33. Grilled Veggie Skewers
34. Mushroom BurgersTime: Under 1 hour
35. Coconut Vegetable Curry
36. Pizza
37. Green Beans Stew
38. Spinach with Curried Basmati Rice
39. Indian Flat Bread
40. Loaded Potato Skins
41. Melting Cheese
42. Tahini Sauce
43. Almond Hummus
44. Tomato Sauce
45. Bolognese Sauce
46. Minty Tuscan Kale Quinoa Salad
47. Spicy Aubergine Stew
48. Pumpkin Spice Granola
49. Grilled Asparagus with Whipped Carrot Hummus
50. Quinoa Salad with Beet
51. Roasted Butternut Squash Salad with Herbed Cream
52. Smoothie Bowl by
53. Banana And Strawberry Smoothie
54. Pink Smoothie
55. Mango Quinoa Salad
56. Cashew Cream
57. Farro with Blueberries
58. Oatmeal with Fruits
59. Sincerely V's Pancakes
60. Sincerely V's Stuffed Eggplant
61. Stuffed Sweet Potato
62. Farro Salad
63. Mediterranean Quinoa Salad
64. Sincerely V's Vitality Wild Rice
65. Chickpea Avocado Wrap
66. Loaded Lentil Soup
67. Molokhia
68. Vegan Chili
69. Loaded Dates
70. Breakfast Strawberry Crumble Bars
71. Orange Chocolate Date Truffles
72. Sugar-Free Strawberry Jam
73. Hummus Trio
74. Instant Tahini Caramel
75. Easy Guacamole
76. Pistachio Lemon Bliss Balls
77. Burnt Bell Pepper Spaghetti
78. Burrito Style Wrap
79. Pita Pockets with Broad Beans and Tahini
80. Quinoa Salad with Avocado Mint Dressing (oil free)
81. Banana Pudding Overnight Oats
82. Quinoa Salad with Sprouts
83. Roasted Vegetables with Pearl Barley
84. Grilled Zucchini and Asparagus Salad
85. Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
86. Mixed Vegetable Noodles
 87. Egyptian Foul (Broad Beans) with Tahina
88. Chickpea Flour Frittata
89. Mushroom, Truffled Cream Toasty
90. Spiced Lentils and Mix Vegetables
91. Grilled Portobello and Zucchini Tacos
92. Curried Basmati Rice with Creamed Spinach
93. Peanut Butter Noodle Salad
94. Green Goddess Soba Bowl with Sesame DressingIngredients
95. Cashew Cream Coleslaw
96. Glorious Fluffiest Pancakes
97. Asian Brown Rice Salad
98. Chocolate Hazelnut Truffles
99. Brunch Party Waffles
100. Gingerbread Cake
101. Green Vitality Wild Rice Salad
102. Mushroom Kale Oatmeal

Thank you for reading!

 Vegan Meaning What is a Vegan

The word vegan was initially defined as a diet free of animal-based

foods (such as meat, dairy products, eggs, and honey.) Nowadays,
the word’s meaning is commonly extended to refer to non-food
products—such as clothing, cosmetics, and medicine—that are
made without animal-derived substances. Vegans also typically
object to exploitative uses of animals, from animal testing to rodeos
to zoos and dolphin shows.
You can use the word vegan to identify a sandwich, a car seat, a
shampoo, or a person. Given the word’s flexibility, seeking an
accurate and uncontested definition inevitably produces
disagreement. You’re always going to have bickered over who or
what qualifies as vegan.
The core virtue of the vegan concept is that it enables, through the
tiniest efforts, the prevention of vast amounts of animal suffering and
environmental degradation. My intention here is to define vegan in a
way that maximizes its power to encourage people to embrace plant-
based lifestyles.
Unpacking the Meaning of Vegan
To begin our consideration of this topic, let’s start by looking at how
the word vegan differs from vegetarian.
Vegetarian diets eschew meat and fish, but commonly allow eggs
and dairy products. Veganism takes this idea to the next level,
cutting out every item of animal origin. So vegans avoid any food
made with animal flesh, dairy products, eggs, or honey.
Vegetarian diets are appealing for a number of reasons, but vegan
diets make even more sense. A vegan diet extends the advantages
that a vegetarian diet delivers, by offering:
1. additional curtailment of animal mistreatment and slaughter
2. reduction of certain health risks
3. A decrease in the environmental footprint

With those benefits in mind, let’s now take a step back and look at
the first time the word vegan appeared in print.
The Original Definition of Vegan
Donald Watson, a founding member of the Vegan Society, coined
the term vegan in 1944 while living in the United Kingdom. Here’s
Watson from that year, in the first issue of The Vegan News,
introducing the word and defining its meaning:

We should all consider carefully what our Group, and our magazine,
and ourselves, shall be called. ‘Non-dairy’ has become established
as a generally understood colloquialism, but like ‘non-lacto’ it is too
negative. Moreover it does not imply that we are opposed to the use
of eggs as food. We need a name that suggests what we do eat, and
if possible one that conveys the idea that even with all animal foods
taboo, Nature still offers us a bewildering assortment from which to
choose. ‘Vegetarian’ and ‘Fruitarian’ are already associated with
societies that allow the ‘fruits’ (!) of cows and fowls, therefore it
seems we must make a new and appropriate word. As this first issue
of our periodical had to be named, I have used the title “The Vegan
News”. Should we adopt this, our diet will soon become known as a
VEGAN diet, and we should aspire to the rank of VEGANS.
Members’ suggestions will be welcomed. The virtue of having a short
title is best known to those of us who, as secretaries of vegetarian
societies have to type or write the word vegetarian thousands of
times a year!
Watson did an admirable job of formulating the vegan concept in
clear and inspiring terms. You’ll notice that he defined the word
solely in terms of diet.
Which foods are vegan?
Of the various senses of the word vegan, the easiest one to address
relates to food. Here, things may seem cut-and-dried. If a food
contains no animal ingredients, it’s vegan. There is an enormous
variety of vegan foods, including:
● Vegetables
● Fruits and berries
● Rice, wheat, and other grains
● Beans, tofu, and tempeh
● Soy milk and nut milks
● Nuts and Seeds
● Vegetable oils

In regard to applying the word vegan to food, I think it’s sensible to

err on the side of being strict. A chocolate bar that contains one
percent milk powder is absolutely not vegan.
But now I must throw you a curve ball. Some chocolate bars made
exclusively with vegan ingredients may nevertheless contain traces
of milk, since they’re produced on the same manufacturing line as
milk chocolate bars. Ditto for other foods like vegan ice cream.
In such cases, I think it’s sensible to call these foods vegan.
Because these foods aren’t formulated with non-vegan ingredients,
they don’t fund animal exploitation. To whatever extent you’re eating
a few molecules of milk because your vegan product shares a
manufacturing line, an omnivore is consuming a few extra vegan
molecules that came from your product.
Oftentimes these products bear a seal stating something like, “may
contain traces of milk.” These statements exist to warn consumers
who have dangerous allergies. To assert these foods aren’t vegan
could create the impression that a vegan diet is absurdly strict, and
repel people from embracing plant-based eating.
Let’s now look at another case of where a food’s vegan status isn’t
cut-and-dried.

Is Palm Oil Vegan?

Palm oil is frequently sourced from plantations that have cleared vast
tracts of jungle. Clearing such land commonly entails the
extermination of orangutans and other endangered species. Vegans
commonly (and rightfully) refuse to purchase palm oil sourced in this
manner. Some claim this oil is not vegan because of the exploitation
involved, ignoring the fact that palm oil can be produced as ethically
and sustainably as any other crop.
Killing endangered apes to clear land for agriculture is certainly
outrageous. But the fact is that whenever land is used for any sort of
monoculture, animals die—usually horrifically. And this issue goes
deeper than most people realize. The farmer growing your delicious
local organic lettuce may be poisoning gophers or shooting deer who
dare to threaten his crop. The bread you eat, organic or not,
undoubtedly came from grains harvested with combine threshers
that eviscerate any number of snakes and rodents.
So if we are going to argue that palm oil is not vegan, pretty much
every other plant-based food deserves to lose its vegan status as
well. The word vegan then breaks down and becomes useless.

Palm Oil may be Totally Objectionable, but Totally Vegan

As you can see, the vegan concept collapses when loaded with
needless weight. The fact that vegan means, “nothing produced by
or derived from animals” is sufficient to convey a hugely important
point, and this is where our definition should, therefore, begin and
end. Designating a food vegan does not and should not mean it’s
karma-free, or produced in morally acceptable ways.
While many vegans refuse to consume palm oil that lacks some sort
of sustainability certification—and I’m in total agreement with this
refusal, by the way—it’s counterproductive to assert that palm oil is
not vegan.
That said, it would be laughable to assert that, simply because it’s
vegan, uncertified palm oil is an acceptable food choice. Veganism
cannot be the only standard by which we evaluate the ethical status
of a given food. Other important issues require consideration. Let me
now offer some additional examples.

What About Coffee and Chocolate?

Just as palm oil is invariably vegan—no matter how objectionable its
production methods—the same goes for coffee and cacao beans. All
these foods are vegan since they come entirely from plants.
Many coffee orchards and cacao plantations treat their workers
abominably. Some cacao plantations even engage in slavery. But
that doesn’t render these foods non-vegan. Food can involve
deplorable treatment of people, and crimes against the environment,
and still be vegan.
Naturally, people who become vegan for ethical reasons usually
recognize there are other important considerations involved beyond
whether their food comes from plants. They therefore typically go out
of their way to choose fair-trade coffee and chocolate. There are
plenty of brands that are fair-trade certified, so finding one poses a
little inconvenience.
Vegan is just one component of ethical eating. It’s absolutely
possible to be a strict vegan but to source many of your foods from
farms that engage in exploitative or environmentally reckless
practices. This is true for many foods beyond palm oil, coffee, and
chocolate. A few prime examples include tomatoes, cashews, and
berries.
If you want to eat food that’s produced in the least harmful ways,
going vegan must surely enter into your thinking. And if you intend to
eat as ethically as possible, it’s crucial to go beyond the vegan
concept when appropriate in order to make the most compassionate
and sustainable choices.
Vegan as an Identity
Can you call yourself a vegan purely because you eat a vegan diet,
but go no further in regard to other lifestyle choices? Different people
have different opinions, but I can’t see any reason to object.
That said, this question does bring up edge cases like a person who
eats a vegan diet but wears fur. But I think we’re all capable of using
language to deal a situation like this. I’d call that person a vegan who
has made a deeply problematic choice that directly funds
extraordinary animal cruelty.
Being vegan, after all, does not mean you are a person exhibiting
consistently admirable behavior. There are vegans who cheat on
their spouses, are abusive to their friends, who dishonor debts, and
so forth. Some of the most despicable people I’ve ever encountered
are vegan. So the vegan concept should never be imagined as a
comprehensive guarantee of human decency. It’s just one more
approach that can help you to be a better person, like telling the
truth, being kind in your speech, and refusing to steal.
When it comes to deciding whether or not somebody is vegan, my
answer is usually, “who cares?” I want to spend my limited time
protecting animals—not getting into endless arguments over who
gets to call themselves a vegan. If someone eats nothing but plants
but wears a leather belt, I think you and I have more important things
to do than to protest that he’s not a real vegan.
Flexible Definitions Save Animals
If you’re not careful, it’s possible to make vegan diets sound
excruciatingly restrictive to newcomers. We must therefore always
strive to use the word vegan in ways that inspire change rather than
inhibit it.
I’m therefore a big fan of the foot-in-the-door technique when
discussing vegan topics. I often seek to convince people to make a
small change in a vegan direction today, since I know that once they
see how satisfying it is they’ll be open to making bigger changes
tomorrow. If we manage to present the vegan concept in appealing
terms, we’ll be much more able to stick our foot in the door before it
closes.
I suspect the reason some people define veganism in the strictest
possible terms is that they think doing so will inspire more perfect
lifestyle choices and thus prevent more animal suffering. But that
sort of approach may be counterproductive. Most of the incidental
uses of animal byproducts will automatically disappear as
slaughterhouses shut down because we’ve stopped raising animals
for food. For that to happen, we must talk about veganism in ways
that motivate people to shift their diets towards plants.

The Plumber’s Snake

While most people would regard me as a strict vegan based on my
diet and lifestyle choices, I don’t consider this word to be a big part of
my identity. I rarely feel the urging to tell people I’m vegan, even
during long conversations involving food politics. And I refuse to
take the word too seriously, especially as a marker for who I am as a
person. I see veganism much the same way I regard a plumber’s
snake. It’s merely a tool to get a job done.
I use the word vegan in whatever sense I can to inspire change. Just
like a plumber’s snake does its job by bending this way and that in
order to clear obstructions, I bend the word vegan in whichever way
serves my purpose at the moment.
Can You be “Mostly Vegan”?
Phrases like these really piss off the vegan fundamentalists. They’ll
proclaim you can’t be a little bit vegan any more than you can be a
little bit pregnant. Sometimes they’ll even feign an inability to
understand what “mostly vegan” or “80 percent vegan” is supposed
to mean.
But I presume a functioning level of intelligence on the part of my
listener, and if you can’t figure out that 80 percent vegan means
eating vegan around 80 percent of the time, you’ve got much bigger
problems than how I define the word vegan.
A Delicate But Useful Comparison
The time now for a quick detour bound to antagonize a few readers.
But the comparison I’m about to offer makes a vital point that I don’t
know how else to convey.
If you want to spread Christianity, you don’t need more guys walking
around with giant crucifixes hanging from their necks. What spreads
Christianity are people who humbly follow Christ’s deepest teachings
of forgiveness and charity. This is truly leading by example, and it’s
the sort of behavior that inspires others to upgrade their own conduct
and character. If you want to make more Christians, the best way is
to act more Christian—in the deepest sense of the word.
Some people seem to base their entire identity around being vegan.
Their way of framing the ethics of eating is often strikingly similar to
religious fundamentalists. They’re invariably inflexible about
definitions since they want to keep the meaning of vegan as
exclusionary as possible. Veganism becomes all about reinforcing
their personal sense of identity.
No fundamentalist sect will ever take over the world. Invariably the
requirements to become part of their sect are so restrictive that it will
always rule out 99 percent of the population. If vegan diets are to
become the norm, we need to use this word with the intention of
inviting and including rather than excluding.

When to Cut Short a Conversation

There are certain occasions that warrant using the word vegan in the
strictest possible sense. But the people who insist on exclusively
defining vegan to convey absolute moral purity have fallen into
fundamentalist thinking. When you encounter these people, you’ll
probably discover there’s no way to have a good-faith give-and-take
conversation.
In time, your spidey-sense kicks in whenever you find yourself
talking to one of these people. In these cases, I’ve learned it’s best
to politely end the conversation and let them have the last word.
They’re going to get the last word anyway. And since they rarely
make a sincere effort to listen, every moment of the dialog is
generally a waste of breath.
I’d rather devote my limited time to having conversations with the
millions of omnivores who are open to thinking more carefully about
their food choices.
The Case for a Vegan Diet
We will never converge on the meaning of vegan that pleases
everybody. But now that we have a working definition it’s time to
move on to more important things. Specifically, it’s time to move past
what vegan means, to why people embrace this concept.
Stepping Toward a Vegan Lifestyle
Whether we’re talking about food or clothing or cosmetics, cutting
out animal products is generally easy. But sometimes, it’s not
obvious whether a particular item comes from animals.No matter
how far down the vegan road you travel, it makes sense to start by
emphasizing dietary choices. After all, the overwhelming majority of
animal exploitation in this world arises from food production.
I expect that this essay has made it apparent why large numbers of
people are deciding to go vegan. Avoiding animal products makes
sense on so many levels.
Vegan is a uniquely powerful word. In fact, it’s probably the most
important term ever coined in the service of animal protection.
Unfortunately, the word can be misused in ways that give it as much
potential to repel as to attract. I’ve therefore sought to define vegan
in a context that unlocks its full power, without ever coming off as
rigid, preachy, or uptight. I hope you’ll make use of the vegan
concept in whichever ways best enable you to remove animal
products from your life and to inspire others to do the same.
 What is a Plant-Based Diet?
Although sometimes referred to as “vegan”, the “whole food, plant-based” diet is
one in which all foods are eaten as close to their natural state as possible,
minimizing salt, oils, and sugar in order to primarily overcome food-addiction,
unnatural weight gain, and inflammation.
We understand that this isn’t always straight forward so we’ve created a simple
proportion for you when making up a plate or choosing a dish in a restaurant.

50% of Vegetables
Low in calories and packed with essential vitamins and nutrients,
vegetables should form the basis of your plate. Focus heavily on
green vegetables such as spinach, lettuce, chard, broccoli and then
add a few different colored vegetables such as peppers, carrots,
squash, and aubergine.
Ensure that when cooking vegetable oils are kept to a minimum (1-
2tbsp per meal). You can saute vegetables in vegetable broth, steam
them or bake them in the oven to keep the calories low.
20% of Grains
Grains are high in fiber and protein, essential to optimal digestion
and muscle repair. Freekh, bulgar wheat, quinoa (if it’s available) and
brown rice
25% Legumes
Your main source of protein, legumes have no fat content and are a
cheap, easy source of protein. There are hundreds to choose from
so try experimenting and finding your favorites. From chickpeas and
fava beans to cannellini beans, black beans, kidney beans, green
peas.
5% Nuts and Seeds
Add a small handful of nuts and/or seeds to any dish to boost the
healthy fats and fiber. Ensure that all nuts and seeds used are raw
and unsalted.
Unlimited
You can use unlimited herbs, spices and vinegar to season your food
so learning more about cooking and flavors from around the world
can help make your challenge much easier to stick to.
 Why Go Vegan? The Top Reasons Explained
Why go vegan? The elevator pitch for the reasons to choose a
vegan diet crams several compelling points into just a few seconds.
It goes something like this:

A vegan lifestyle prevents a tremendous amount of animal slaughter

and suffering. It offers a potent way to shrink our environmental
footprint, especially in regard to climate change. And a well-planned
vegan diet can fuel the highest levels of fitness while reducing our
risk of various chronic diseases. Plus, the food is insanely delicious
and it becomes more widely available every year.
A short paragraph like the above is a nice start, but it doesn’t begin
to do the subject justice. Indeed, getting up to speed on every
important issue pertaining to veganism would require months and
months of reading. You’d have to explore topics like plant-based
nutrition, animal rights philosophy, and the exploitation of
slaughterhouse workers. You’d also want to read up on the damage
the meat industry inflicts on human health and the environment.
There are a dozen other reasons why vegan diets carry great
benefits, but you get the idea.
That said, you have to start somewhere. Fortunately, just a little
reading about the reasons to go vegan will deliver an enormous
payoff. So what I’ve set out to do here is to present the truly
essential material in an essay you can finish in less than an hour. I’m
confident that the information covered here will inspire you to
continue your exploration of plant-based eating. I doubt you can find
a topic more worthy of your attention. There is so much to learn
about the benefits that arise from ridding your diet of animal products
—all of it interesting and of profound importance.
The Virtues of Plant-Based Diets
You can view a vegan diet either in terms of what it excludes or what
it includes. Vegan diets exclude all foods produced by or derived
from animals: meat, fish, dairy products, eggs, and honey.
Alternately, another way to look at veganism is that it’s a manner of
eating that is based entirely on plants.
Many vegans go beyond diet to exclude animal use from every
aspect of their lifestyle. They’ll avoid clothing made of wool and won’t
buy a leather sofa. When purchasing cosmetics they’ll steer clear of
products tested on animals or that contain animal ingredients. While
there are excellent reasons to take such steps, to keep this essay
short I will focus entirely on food.
Millions of people who have carefully examined animal agribusiness
have resolved to go vegan. But even if you decide a vegan diet isn’t
for you, you’ll probably come away from reading this essay sold on
the benefits of eating what people now call a “plant-based” diet. Why
am I so sure? Because the reasons to choose a diet that is at least
mostly plant-based are so overwhelming that there really aren’t any
credible counterarguments. That may explain why the most
prominent food politics writers—including Michael Pollan, Mark
Bittman, and Eric Schlosser—advocate a diet based heavily on
plants.
Plant-based diets deliver many of the benefits of being vegan while
requiring only the slightest effort. Since you haven’t devoted yourself
to being 100 percent anything, there’s no reason to worry that you’ll
cheat, slip, or screw up. You can follow a plant-based diet and still
eat Thanksgiving turkey or a summer barbecue. If being 100 percent
vegan is something people commit to, being plant-based is more
something they lean into.
Maybe the best thing about the plant-based concept is that it often
sets in motion a “virtuous cycle,” where one positive change leads to
another and then to another. When you regularly try new vegan
foods, your favorites tend to automatically become part of your
everyday diet. So as time goes by, your diet will likely move in a
vegan direction without any concerted effort on your part. Plenty of
current vegans got there by gradually sliding down the plant-based
slope. Over time spent eating increasing amounts of plant-based
foods, they realized that they were just a few small and easy steps
away from becoming totally vegan.
There are a number of cute and helpful neologisms attached to the
plant-based camp: reducetarian, flexitarian, chegan, plant-strong,
and even veganish. If any of these terms resonate with you, just grab
ahold of it and start thinking along those lines as you begin trying
more vegetarian and vegan meals.
Of the many reasons to go plant-based, perhaps the best of all is the
lack of a sensible counterargument. In all my years writing about
food politics, I’ve never once seen anyone (other than a few paleo
diet fanatics) make a serious attempt to argue against eating mostly
plants since the advantages are undeniable. Dozens and dozens of
studies show that eating more fruits and vegetables can dramatically
decrease rates of cancer, diabetes, and circulatory disease. And of
course, plant-based diets also keep farm animals from slaughter,
while simultaneously protecting the environment.
Why Go Beyond Plant-Based?
Now that we’ve touched on the benefits of eating mostly plant-based
foods, let’s consider the advantages of going further and becoming
vegan. This raises the key question: what does a vegan diet give you
that a plant-based diet can’t?
It turns out that going vegan has several advantages no other diet
can match. If you find yourself swayed by the arguments for
becoming vegetarian or for moving in a plant-based direction, you
should know that most of those arguments apply even more
forcefully to becoming vegan. The great virtue of vegan foods is that
they slam the door shut on so many disagreeable things, especially
where animal suffering is concerned.
So as we begin digging into the why go vegan question, let’s start by
looking at farm animals.
More than 70 billion farm animals are slaughtered each year, the
vast majority of whom are kept under extraordinarily cruel conditions.
And when it comes to inflicting animal suffering, it turns out that the
dairy and egg industries are every bit as objectionable as the meat
industry. A vegan diet cuts out this exploitation and prevents your
food budget from funding animal abuse and slaughter.
Preventing Animal Slaughter
If witnessing animal abuse and slaughter troubles you, only a vegan
diet can eliminate every last bit of it. It may seem counter-intuitive,
but the milk and egg industries are as tied to animal slaughter as the
meat industry. In fact, the only difference between these industries is
that meat comes from animals who have been killed, whereas milk
and eggs come from animals who will be killed, guaranteed.
It’s obvious that meat requires killing, but why are nearly all dairy
cows and layer hens also sent to slaughter? It’s because, like cows
and hens age, their production of milk and eggs sharply diminishes.
At roughly a quarter of their natural lifespan, yields have so
dramatically declined that these animals are no longer profitable.
They’re sent to slaughter and replaced with younger, more
productive ones.
Still, more slaughter arises from the fact that dairies impregnate their
cows annually in order to maximize milk production. This means that
millions of baby calves are born each year, entirely as a byproduct of
milk production. Many of these calves and the vast majority of the
males are slaughtered when they are only days or weeks old.
Slaughter is invariably gory and disturbing to witness. Animals are
stunned as they step onto the kill floor. The methods used for
stunning are as troubling to watch as the slaughter itself. The most
common method for stunning cattle and pigs involves a “captive bolt”
pistol. These pistols ram a rod through the animal’s forehead,
causing a massive brain injury. Yet the pistols are designed not to kill
the animal outright, in order for the animals’ heart to keep beating to
pump blood from the body after the throat is slit.
There are other stunning methods as well, each flawed and troubling
in their own way. Electric shocks commonly stun chickens and pigs
prior to slaughter. These shocks are doubtless painful. And it’s
almost impossible to calibrate these devices so that every animal will
be rendered unconscious yet not outright killed. Some pigs are
stunned with carbon dioxide, which inflicts severe distress and is
profoundly disturbing to watch.
Kosher and halal slaughterhouses don’t use any sort of stunning
since the animals must bleed to death while still conscious. This
opens the door to all sorts of deeply disturbing slaughterhouse
practices, as one hidden camera after another has revealed.

Farm Animal Suffering in Agribusiness

As unsettling as slaughter may be to contemplate, it’s only the
starting point for becoming acquainted with the ethical issues
surrounding the raising of animals. It’s probable that most of the
suffering and cruelty tied to the meat, dairy, and egg industries
relates to how the animals are raised rather than how they are killed.
I know that thinking about animal suffering is extraordinarily
unpleasant, and it’s only natural to want to turn away from hearing
the gory details. If you find yourself especially troubled by having to
listen to this awful stuff, perhaps that right there is the best reason of
all to move towards a vegan diet.
As we’re about to see, if you wanted to design a system that
torments countless billions of animals in a multitude of disturbing
ways, the methods employed by modern-day factory farming would
be impossible to beat. Each year, about 50 billion farm animals are
subjected to factory farm conditions.1 Let’s now look at what they
face.

The Cruelty of Factory Farming

Animal advocates use the term, “factory farming” to refer to the
dominant methods of animal farming used in industrialized countries.
While there are important differences between how cattle, pigs, and
poultry are kept, all of these animals are commonly raised at factory
farms.
Prior to World War II, most farm animals lived under comparatively
good conditions on small, family-owned farms. These animals
typically received plenty of space, and they often had access to
sunlight and fresh air. So, by any standard, they had the makings of
a decent life even if this life was destined to be violently cut short.
Farmers of that era didn’t necessarily supply the animals with
satisfactory living conditions out of the goodness of their hearts, they
did it because mortality rates surged to unprofitable levels when their
animals’ basic living needs weren’t met.2
The Great Depression and the Dust Bowl era saw massive changes
in America’s system of agriculture. Land grant colleges across the
United States pioneered an entirely new form of farming both crops
and animals. Starting in the 1920s, agriculture colleges at these
state colleges began teaching agriculture with the same rigor applied
to any other academic discipline. And as a new generation of
farmers became exposed to disciplines like chemistry and biology,
everything about plant and animal farming changed.
The petrochemical-based “Green Revolution” that occurred between
the 1930s and 1960s boosted crop yields, arguably raising standards
of living worldwide while averting numerous famines. But within
animal agriculture, the introduction of factory farming methods
simultaneously increased animal suffering to unconscionable
extremes.

Meat, Milk, and Eggs Get Cheaper than Ever

Adjusted for inflation, the price of animal products dropped
significantly thanks to the efficiencies gained through factory farming.
This gave rise to people eating more meat, milk, and eggs than ever
before—while animal welfare standards simultaneously collapsed.
The cratering of welfare standards directly arose from the industry’s
fierce competition to slash costs to the minimum. Thousands of
meat, dairy, and egg producers quit business every year.
The dairy industry offers a good example of the relentless financial
pressure that animal farmers face. Beginning in 2013, dairies
throughout the Northeast U.S. lost money four years in a row. In
each of those years, wholesale milk prices came in well below
production costs. Over that period, one regional dairy cooperative
sent out suicide prevention letters after two of its members killed
themselves.3
To stay afloat financially, meat, dairy, and egg producers must cut
expenses wherever possible. Tragically, many of these cost-cutting
measures are tremendously cruel.

Crowding at Factory Farms

The most obvious component of factory farming pertains to the
extreme crowding imposed on animals. This is especially the case in
the egg industry. In countries and states that haven’t yet outlawed
the practice, egg farmers keep their hens in “battery cages,” where
each hen has less floor space than a sheet of printer paper.
Additionally, these hens spend their entire lives standing on wire-
bottomed cages. Predictably, the wire causes abrasions that lead to
open sores and bruises. The birds sleep while being pressed against
the cage and literally never have a moment of comfort.
Pigs face comparably appalling living conditions, especially females
used for breeding. These sows often spend their entire lives in
gestation and farrowing crates. Standard crates forbid any sort of
normal movement. In fact, they are so narrow that the sow lacks
sufficient space to turn around.
Pig urine produces vapors full of ammonia. At many pig farms, the
air quality is so poor that the pigs commonly develop lung lesions.
On top of that, workers have significantly elevated rates of
respiratory problems. In fact, even people living in neighboring
properties have impaired lung function.4
What about cows and cattle? Whether in person or in movies, we’ve
all seen cows grazing scenic hillsides. Beef cattle are the only farm
animals that nearly always live a portion of their lives outdoors in
good conditions. Some dairy cows also spend much of their lives
outdoors. But many dairies are factory farms that intensively confine
their cows for their entire lives.
Even for the lucky cattle who spend time outside, this experience is
only temporary. Beef cattle are invariably “finished” at feedlots.
There, they live out their final months crowded onto filthy, barren
plots of land.
One such feedlot is the notorious Harris Ranch that’s adjacent to the
Interstate 5 corridor of California. Having driven this stretch of
Interstate countless times, I have often smelled the stench of the
feedlot several kilometers before reaching it. The feedlot covers
hundreds of acres, with seemingly every square meter crammed with
animals amassed on black manure-coated earth. If you’ve seen one
feedlot you’ve seen them all. Any large feedlot is basically
indistinguishable from what you can see at Harris Ranch.
Conditions are just as bad, and nearly identical, at many dairy farms.
The industry calls the most crowded of these places “dry lot”
facilities. Some dairies are nearly indistinguishable from beef
feedlots. The easiest way for an untrained observer to spot the
difference is to look at the animals: most dairy cows have spotted
coats whereas beef cattle are usually solid dark brown.
As with beef cattle at feedlots, “dry lot” dairy cows have no
opportunity to graze and are instead fed silage out of troughs. Twice
a day, they’re hooked up to milking machines.

Mutilations at Factory Farms

Just as bullying and violence pervade poorly run schools and
prisons, the same is true at factory farms. The staggering levels of
crowding at factory farms cause the animals to take their frustrations
out on one another. More crowding inevitably means more violence.
The problem goes away if you remove stresses and provide
adequate living space, but that solution is too expensive for most
facilities to contemplate. Factory farms instead inflict a variety of
mutilations onto the animals in order to keep them from injuring one
another.
Pigs raised in overcrowded conditions are apt to bite one another’s
tails. At factory farms, workers cut the tails cut off and clip their
“needle teeth.”
Hens crowded into battery cages can peck each other to death. So
egg producers use a hot blade to sear off the pointy final third of their
beaks—rendering it unlikely that a peck can draw blood. While a
beak may appear woody on the outside, the hen’s mouth lies inside
and full of nerve endings. So, the reality is that beak searing is a
partial (and no doubt excruciatingly painful) amputation of the bird’s
mouth. Some hens are unable to eat or drink after beak searing and
perish.
Unlike pigs and chickens, cows don’t commonly attack one another
when subjected to stress. But in overcrowded conditions, horns
endanger both workers and other cattle, so they’re painfully
amputated or sawed off. Ranchers also brand their cattle with a hot
iron in order to deter theft. Dairy farmers usually cut off their cows’
tails so they don’t interfere with the milking machines. That leaves
the cows with no way to shoo away flies, which are often legion at
dairies and a constant source of misery.
In order to improve meat tenderness and also eliminate the “boar
taint” stench in pork, farmers castrate nearly every male calf and
piglet. I’ll spare you the details of how this is done, but interested
readers can follow read this article or watch this video.
Each of these mutilations, including castration, typically occurs
without anaesthesia. A local anaesthetic would greatly reduce pain,
but factory farm owners regard even the cheapest analgesics as
prohibitively expensive.

Selective Breeding
Even when raised in good environments, farm animals commonly
suffer a number of painful health problems. That’s because decades
of selective breeding have boosted egg yields, milk yields, and
growth rates to staggering extremes. These breeding advances
make animal agribusiness more efficient and productive than ever,
but the animals pay a terrible price.
When it comes to genetics, no animal is more revved up than
chickens, and none suffers more as a result. Chickens raised for
meat grow more than four times faster than birds raised in the
1950s.5 This rapid growth puts a severe strain on the birds’
cardiovascular system, and up to 4 percent of birds die from “sudden
death syndrome.”6 In their brief lives, many of these chickens also
suffer from debilitating leg problems brought on by their rapid growth
rates. One large study found that more than 25 percent of chickens
had trouble moving, with nearly 4 percent, “almost unable to walk.”7
At farms that raise chickens for meat, it is common to find birds with
broken legs. Unable to walk to food or water, they die of thirst or
starve to death. No one notices their plight or pauses to provide care
—a chicken who is going to die anyway isn’t worth the added labor
costs.
Just like every human pregnancy carries risk, complications can
arise every time a hen lays an egg. So the more intensive the
breeding to increase egg productivity, the greater the chances that
something will go wrong. Modern hens frequently suffer a “prolapse”
while laying their eggs. Here, the egg becomes stuck to the hen’s
internal organs. During laying, reproductive and digestive organs can
come out along with the egg. Without prompt veterinary attention,
the infection will set in and the bird will die. Since the requisite
veterinary care costs at least twenty times the value of a
replacement hen, none of these afflicted birds get the treatment they
need to survive. In typical egg-laying sheds that house tens of
thousands of hens, it is unlikely they will be noticed at all.
Nearly all hens afflicted with a severe prolapse will suffer a lingering
death from blood loss or infection. In many cases, they take their
dying breaths trampled by cage-mates while lying pressed against a
wire battery cage floor. In the United States alone, millions of hens
each year die in this manner as a result of prolapses and other
conditions.8
Dairy cows likewise suffer a variety of maladies as a result of
selective breeding. Today’s cows may look the same as yesterday’s,
but they produce over four times more milk per animal than did cows
from 1950.9 There are many health problems attributable to these
extreme milk yields, the most common of which is an inflammation of
the udders, which is generally accompanied by infection. In cows
with infected udders, the number of somatic cells in the milk
increases dramatically. Laypeople have a more plainspoken word for
“somatic cells.” That word is “pus.”
Thanks to their massive milk yields, udder inflammation, and sub-
clinical infection are widespread among modern dairy cows. So if
you want to ensure your milk contains no pus, you must choose a
plant-based variety like soy milk.

Undercover Farming Videos

I’ve written two books devoted largely to examining farm animal
welfare standards. These experiences have convinced me that no
words can do justice to the topic. In order to truly grasp what the
animals experience, you really must visit factory farms yourself. Of
course, factory farm owners don’t want the public to witness what’s
going on. Most of these places therefore forbid visitors. Thankfully,
the world contains people like my friend Cody Carlson.
Cody switched to a vegan diet at age nineteen. A few years later, he
took a job at a large dairy farm in Upstate New York. He worked
there for a month, then left to work in a pig-breeding facility in
Pennsylvania. After that gig ended, he got jobs at two different egg
farms. Cody’s choice of diet was not the only thing that set him apart
from his coworkers. The other difference was that each day when
Cody arrived at the job, he wore a hidden camera.
Few jobs are as traumatizing as that of an undercover animal cruelty
investigator. Yet many activists have stepped up to do this work.
They’ve collectively shot hidden-camera videos at every sort of farm
animal operation imaginable, from chicken hatcheries to cattle
feedlots to pig farms. Still, other undercover investigators have taken
jobs at the slaughterhouses and fishing boats. No matter where
these investigators show up, staggering cruelties reveal themselves.
YouTube hosts a vast assortment of undercover videos that expose
the poultry and livestock industries’ widespread cruelties. In one
video after another, you’ll see shocking degrees of confinement,
appalling conditions, and sadistic behavior by workers.
Typically, whenever a new undercover video goes public, the guilty
company makes a big deal of firing the workers caught abusing
animals. While these firings are invariably well-deserved, they
conveniently shift blame away from ownership and management. Yet
the root of the problem is not with any individual worker. It’s
invariably ownership and management that allows or even
encourages these cruelties. Factory farms are owned and operated
by people willing to inflict unfathomable amounts of suffering onto
animals in order to cut costs.

All the Edges Rough

Many of factory farming’s worst abuses arise from overcrowding.
Every farmer has a tremendous financial incentive to cram as many
animals into the smallest space possible. On top of this intensive
confinement, the industry strives to cut expenses to the absolute
minimum.
These efforts play out in all sorts of distressing ways. No matter
where in the system an animal may be, agonies and discomforts
unrelentingly suffuse every moment. There is no one softer corner,
nothing without an edge, no flicker of respite. Anything decent or
worthwhile was squeezed out decades ago in the pursuit of profit.
You can find dozens of separate sources of misery within factory
farming. Wherever you choose to look, a fresh hell opens up. For the
sake of brevity, here are just three topics of dozens that deserve a
lengthy book chapter of coverage:
1. Specialized facilities called hatcheries churn out the billions of chicks a year
for the poultry industry. At hatcheries servicing egg companies, one
unwanted male chick hatches for every female chick. These males are
useless to the industry, as they aren’t of the breed that can grow profitably
for meat. At some of these hatcheries, the male chicks are tossed into
garbage cans and left to smother. At others, the chicks are promptly ground
up alive. In the United States alone, hatcheries kill about 200 million newly-
hatched male chicks every year.
 2. Buildings that house cows, pigs, or poultry rarely have fire sprinklers, and
often go up in flames. When a fire strikes a poultry farm, the fatalities
commonly number in the tens or even hundreds of thousands. Since the
year 2000, fires have killed more than 4.5 million chickens or turkeys,
220,000 pigs, and nearly 12,000 cows and calves.10
3. On the truck to slaughter, hard braking or sharp turns can throw animals
from their feet. Once knocked down they’re often trampled by other animals.
They’ll commonly reach the slaughterhouse too badly injured to stand back
up. Pigs and cattle who arrive at the slaughterhouse unable to walk often
perish from shock or thirst. There’s no financial incentive to give them
attention since animals too sick or injured to stand up cannot legally be sold
for human food. In the United States alone, hundreds of thousands of
“downer” cattle and pigs arrive at slaughterhouses each year.11 Sometimes
they linger untended for days before dying.

There’s no room here to address dozens of other comparably

important topics. No room to talk about what the animals can see
coming as they look down the slaughter line. Nor can we linger here
on the experiences of the dairy cows who watch their babies taken
away just a day or two after birth. No space either to talk about the
millions of birds and cattle who have been buried alive in open pits
during disease outbreaks. We don’t have time here to consider the
runt piglets who fail to grow profitably, whose heads are slammed
into the concrete. Factory farming is a bottomless horror, no matter
where you choose to look.
Anyone asking the why to go vegan question gets a resoundingly
powerful answer by taking a close look at factory farming.

Why Not Just Avoid Factory Farmed Foods?

Unless specifically labeled to the contrary, you can assume that
every animal product came from a factory farm. As we’ve seen,
every sort of cruelty is rampant at these places.
A number of omnivores have pushed back against factory farm
cruelties by demanding higher animal welfare standards. Most
natural food stores and supermarkets sell specially-labeled animal
products from farms that promise better animal welfare. Additionally,
many small-scale meat and egg producers rent stalls at local
farmers’ markets.
At their best, alternative farms deliver genuine improvements over
factory farms. That’s mainly because they refuse to partake in the
cruelest farming practices, particularly with regard to confinement
and crowding. And with this reduced crowding, mutilations like beak
searing and tail-clipping can be eliminated. That’s because animals
unstressed by crowding are far less likely to attack or bully one
another.
Unfortunately, the substantial price premium these higher welfare
foods command can exert an overpowering temptation on producers
to cheat. All too often, farmers exaggerate or outright lie about
standards for animal care. Just like at factory farms, every alternative
producer faces the strongest financial temptation to push limits.
Since the costs of delivering genuinely good animal welfare are so
high, there are always farmers willing to cut corners.
The reality is that some so-called “organic” farms are factory farms in
every sense of the word. Sure, they use higher quality animal feed
and refrain from using antibiotics, but animal welfare remains
deplorable. At one point, several of America’s largest “organic”
dairies exploited a regulatory loophole that allowed them to keep
their cows confined indoors 310 days out of every year. In late 2017,
the Trump administration threw out regulations that had required
organic poultry and livestock producers to provide their animal’s
sufficient space to spread their wings or turn around.

Animal Welfare Certification Programs

Many consumers are aghast to discover poor animal welfare at
organic farms. So top foodservice companies and groceries have
implemented a variety of certification programs. Much like hotels are
typically rated from one to five stars, one leading program offers five
different tiers of animal welfare. That way, at least in theory, the
consumer can decide for herself which practices are acceptable, and
choose products accordingly.
Of course, every welfare certification system depends on farmers
having the integrity to live up to their promised standards. For these
programs to succeed in their mission, it’s imperative that they quickly
catch any farmers who cheat. This, in turn, demands careful
monitoring and strict enforcement by the certification agency. It’s fair
to say that, in the real world, such monitoring is expensive,
occasional, and unreliable.

Checking Up on Your Local Farms

Alternately, you can do your own monitoring. This requires meeting
the sellers of animal products at your local farmers’ market and then
visiting their farms personally to evaluate the conditions. Me, I have
better things to do with my time. I don’t want to spend my precious
afternoons driving out to distant farms to verify standards of animal
care. Much easier, I think, to simply avoid foods where egregious
abuses of consumer trust and animal welfare are commonplace.
In this respect, laziness surely ranks as one of the most
underappreciated reasons to consider a vegan diet. You undoubtedly
have more pleasant ways to spend your time than investigating
animal welfare compliance. And why expend all that effort when
there is an abundance of delicious high-quality vegan food
available?
And anyway, no matter how you strive to purchase only the highest-
quality animal products, numerous problems remain either
unaddressed or impossible to remedy. As just one example, there is
simply no way to eliminate slaughter. Even the highest-welfare
producers kill their dairy cows and layer hens well before midlife, as
yields decline. What’s more, it’s often illegal for animal farms to
slaughter their animals on-site. So, in many cases, “free-range” and
“pasture-raised” animals end up at the very same slaughterhouses
that kill factory-farmed animals.
Diving a little deeper, the use of heirloom breeds is all but unheard of
in commercial agriculture. So even at the very best “pasture-raised”
farms, the animals suffer the same productivity-related health
problems as their factory-farmed counterparts.
In short: the more you care about sourcing animal products from only
the most conscientious producers, the messier and more
unsatisfying your task becomes.
Counter-intuitively, it’s not vegans but omnivores who face the
greatest inconvenience when it comes to conscientious eating.
That’s because they face a barrage of tasks and expenses to ensure
acceptable welfare standards. By contrast, aspiring vegans have it
much easier. Their primary tasks are to read up on nutrition, pick up
a few pointers, and constantly try delicious new foods.
Animal Welfare & Animal Rights
Now that we’ve seen how brazenly the food industry exploits farm
animals, let’s explore some ways to productively think about this.
The two fundamental concepts of the animal protection movement—
animal welfare and animal rights—offer some powerful insights.

Animal Welfare
Let’s begin with animal welfare, a simple concept arising out of
common decency. Animal welfare’s core message is: if you’re going
to use animals for food, cosmetics, or anything else, you are
obligated to eliminate needless suffering. Unfortunately, that’s easier
said than done. A great deal of the suffering intrinsic to animal use is
expensive and difficult to remove. Verifying acceptable welfare is
unreliable, since—as we’ve seen—farmers have every incentive to
cheat.
Once someone begins to pay attention to animal welfare, some
degree of dietary change is virtually inevitable. Nearly everyone who
thinks carefully about animal welfare ends up eating fewer animal-
derived foods since that’s the easiest and most reliable way to cut
out cruelty. In order to eliminate additional suffering, people also
switch to free-range and pasture-raised animal products.
Many omnivores who give animal welfare a close look ultimately
decide they can’t make peace with slaughter. Objecting to slaughter
doesn’t just close the door on consuming meat, but eggs and dairy
products as well.
But animal welfare is only one approach to thinking seriously about
the ethics of eating. The most challenging ideas offered by the
animal protection movement relate not to animal welfare, but to
animal rights. Animal welfare condones virtually any use of animals,
as long as we attempt to minimize suffering. Animal rights reject this
world view and emphatically proclaims that animals are not ours to
use however we wish.
As its name suggests, animal rights go beyond animal welfare to
proclaim that animals have rights. Just as it’s wrong to falsely
imprison somebody, even if that prison is the Waldorf Astoria, it’s
similarly wrong to raise animals for slaughter no matter how well they
are kept.

Animal Rights
The animal rights literature contains a number of lengthy and
challenging books. Now, however, we’re going to pick out three easy
concepts: speciesism, subject of a life, and utilitarian thinking.
Together, they answer why to go vegan questions with some
exceptionally clear thinking.

Speciesism
A few key concepts reside at the core of animal rights philosophy.
Perhaps the most important of these relates to speciesism. This
word applies to the attempts to justify exploitation on the basis of an
animal’s species. Such justifications inevitably ignore facts of far
greater relevance. The question of whether rights are unjustly
violated should start by evaluating each individual animal’s ability (or
lack thereof) to think, feel, and suffer.
Speciesism is fundamentally irrational, and yet once you start
looking for it you can see it everywhere. Perhaps the most obvious
example relates to the fact that, by all accounts, pigs are more
intelligent than dogs. Yet the pork industry’s standard farming
practices would yield a stream of felony cruelty convictions if it raised
dogs in the same manner.
It’s readily apparent that speciesism is cut from the same cloth as
other sorts of rights violations. How does racism, sexism, classism,
and so forth relate to speciesism? All of these “isms” violate an
individual’s liberties on grounds that are fundamentally arbitrary. The
only thing that sets speciesism apart from the others is that it offers
an excuse to exploit certain types of animals rather than certain
groups of people.

Animals as the “Subject of a Life”

Going deeper, animal rights philosophers often point out that every
human and every animal experiences an individualized “subject of a
life.” We all have a unique biography and set of experiences. No
matter what sort of body we’re born into, we’ve got one incarnation
filled with moments related to companionship, family, and
interactions with others. While the experiences of humans and other
animals differ, it’s not within our rights to cut these lives short.
Let’s now reflect on why, across every culture, the punishment for
murder is invariably severe. The answer is undoubted because
cutting short someone’s life is a bell cannot be unrung. The victim is
forever denied the experiences she would have otherwise had, and
no remedy is possible. Certainly, if we agree that murder demands
severe punishment, we become obliged to examine the ethics of
animal slaughter. To cut short an animal’s life is the ultimate violation
of that being’s only opportunity to exist. And to do this for culinary
pleasure, when abundant delicious alternatives exist, seems
especially problematic.
Maybe there’s something to the idea of looking at a pig or chicken
and deciding, “It may not be much of a life, but it’s all they’ve got—
and it isn’t ours to take.”

Animal Rights and Utilitarian Thinking

There is one final approach to thinking about animal rights that is
worthy of careful consideration: the utilitarian philosophy of Jeremy
Bentham, which Peter Singer incorporated into his 1975 classic,
Animal Liberation.
Utilitarianism seeks to evaluate every situation in order to maximize
joy for all parties. For instance, it is far better for ten people to each
receive one sandwich, than for one person to get all ten sandwiches.
Sure, that one person at the top might be happier receiving ten
sandwiches instead of one. But there’s no denying that maximizing
total joy demands everybody gets a sandwich. Utilitarianism is based
on the idea that morality is expressed by maximizing total joy and
minimizing total suffering.
Much like we’ve just seen with our sandwich example, our use of
animals carries a strong utilitarian component. We can acknowledge,
for instance, that putting pepperoni on pizza tastes good. There is
consequently some added joy that comes with being able to order
your pizza with pepperoni. But from a utilitarian point of view, it’s
unethical to value this added joy without weighing it against how the
pig suffered to produce this pepperoni.
In such cases, the animal suffering associated with a given food
doubtless far outstrips the joy derived from its consumption. We live
in a time when vegan meats, dairy products, and eggs become
better and more widely available every year. Day by day, the
argument that non-vegan foods deliver unique and irreplaceable
pleasures is increasingly difficult to entertain.
Utilitarian thinking applies not just to food, but to every animal
product from cosmetics to fur to leather. Nobody would pretend it’s
possible to calculate joy vs. suffering from the precision of crunching
numbers on a spreadsheet. But even so, utilitarianism probably
offers the most helpful framework available for evaluating the ethics
of animal use.

Choosing a Diet that Aligns with Your Values

The concepts of speciesism, subject of a life, and utilitarianism offer
ample reason to embrace a plant-based diet—or to move beyond
that to a vegan lifestyle.
Here then, we arrive at what I consider the crux of the matter: are
you okay taking a healthy animal who clearly wants to live, and
cutting her throat?
Is this a violation, or is this part of the circle of life? Whatever your
answer, this question certainly deserves the most careful reflection
from each of us. If vegans have any reason to object to how others
eat, it’s that this question rarely receives the consideration it
deserves.
Why Go Vegan for Your Health?
While no diet can guarantee a long and healthy life, becoming vegan
may improve your odds. That’s largely because a vegan diet
eliminates a number of unhealthful foods, including red and cured
meats—two foods strongly linked to colon cancer.12
Vegans also tend to eat far more vegetables and fruits than non-
vegetarians. Studies consistently show that people who eat the
most fruits and vegetables tend to enjoy better health.13 Research
also suggests that vegans suffer lower rates of heart disease and
diabetes.14 This reduced risk is partly due to the fact that vegans are
statistically leaner and much less prone to obesity than the general
population, but this isn’t the whole explanation. Additional benefits
probably arise from low saturated fat intake and from the healthful
compounds in plant foods.

The Potential Benefits of Ditching Dairy

A surprisingly large number of vegans will tell you that quitting dairy
changed their lives. Milk products may cause all sorts of chronic
health ailments, from nasal congestion to acne to migraines to
digestive problems. Many people suffer from these conditions for
decades, yet never suspect that dairy products are to blame. I can
personally attest to the health benefits that can accompany going
dairy-free. My lifelong severe nasal congestion vanished forever
within weeks of eliminating milk products from my diet.
With all this in mind, even people unswayed by environmental and
animal rights concerns might consider going dairy-free. Given the
potential rewards, it’s well worth trying out the dairy-free diet for a
couple of weeks.

Antibiotics in Factory Farming

In addition to the personal health benefits associated with a vegan
diet, there are substantial public health benefits as well. That’s
because of large industrialized meat and dairy farms burden society
with all sorts of hidden costs. One of the greatest of these relates to
the incubation of new strains of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
Through its lobbying efforts carried out alongside the pharmaceutical
industry, the meat industry has for decades gotten away with using
staggering amounts of antibiotics. A small portion of these important
antibiotics is administered to farm animals in order to treat severe
infections. But most of these antibiotics go-to healthy animals in
order to improve feed-to-meat conversion rates and to prevent
diseases associated with overcrowding.
In the United States, farm animals are responsible for something like
70 percent of all antibiotic use. Despite the well-known risks of
antibiotic overuse, this percentage has been steadily increasing for
years.15 Worldwide, the meat and dairy industries combine to use
more than 100,000 tons of antibiotics per year.16 Many of these
antibiotics, like penicillin and tetracyclines, have irreplaceable uses
in human medicine.
Confining thousands of animals in one space and dosing them all
with antibiotics inevitably increases microbial resistance. This, in
turn, renders important classes of antibiotics ineffective for urgent
human medical needs. It’s difficult to pin the emergence of a lethal
antibiotic-resistant strain of microbes on a specific animal farm. But
there’s no legitimate doubt that animal agriculture is the main culprit
behind the emergence of deadly antibiotic-resistant strains of
bacteria like the MRSA superbug.
Tragically, lobbyists from the meat and pharmaceutical industries
have long stymied efforts to restrict agriculture’s use of antibiotics.
By rejecting meats sold by farms that use antibiotics, we can each
send a message and avoid contributing to the problem.
 The Bigger Picture: How Eating Plant-
Based Affects the Environment
Some people argue that being on a plant-based diet is not just good
for your health, but also better for the environment. What we choose
to eat or not eat is the most significant factor of the personal impact
we have on the environment.[1]
The earth’s surface is covered by oceans and other bodies of water
and approximately 8 billion acres of arable land – the equivalent of
about 6 billion football fields.
An estimate of 2 football fields is required to produce food enough
for only one person/year consuming a standard meat-based diet. If
all 7 billion of us on the face of the earth were consuming a standard
meat-based diet, we would need at least two planet Earth to feed us
all, and we only have one.

By contrast, on just one football field of arable land, it’s estimated

that food can be produced to feed 7 people for an entire year when
they are consuming a predominantly plant-based diet.
By reducing our animal-based food consumption we are paving the
way for a brighter, greener future. Here’s how:
1. We could potentially add up to 49% to the global food supply
without expanding croplands.
2. We would significantly reduce carbon emissions.
3. We would significantly reduce waste byproducts that end up in our
oceans and as seafood byproducts.[2]
WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT?
These reductions would consequently reduce threats such as
climate change, and other intended and unintended threats to the
condition of our home planet Earth. For example, research shows
that industrial animal agriculture is at the heart of our environmental
crisis because it uses over half of the world’s arable land resources,
uses the majority of our freshwater stores, and drives greenhouse
gas emissions. Not to mention how it causes extensive air and water
pollution, land degradation, deforestation and is pushing countless
species to the brink of extinction.[3]
If you care at all about environmentally friendly practices, then here
are two perspectives to consider while deciding to shift away from
animal-based foods.
FROM A WATER PERSPECTIVE
According to the United Nations, most of the water we consume
globally is used to produce our food. They explain that the
production of meat products consumes tens and oftentimes
hundreds of times more water. For example, in order to produce 1
kilo of meat we consume 15,000 liters of water, as opposed to 1,500
liters used to produce 1 kilo of wheat.

An average of 2,025 liters of water is consumed for every 150 grams

of meat. And only an average of 69 liters is consumed for the same
amount of fruit. Other plant-based products such as oats consume
355 liters and soybeans take 412 liters.[4] Moreover, the Water
Footprint Network, states that it takes around 3,785 liters of water to
produce just approximately 4 liters of milk. When you think about it
and consider that the production of just 1 kilo of animal protein
requires hundreds of times more water than 1 kilo of wheat or grain
protein, you can see that by reducing the number of animal products
you eat will preserve an enormous amount of freshwater.
FROM A GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSION
PERSPECTIVE
Science Time reports that the highest total of livestock-related
greenhouse-gas emissions comes from the developing world, which
accounts for 75% of the global emissions from cattle and other
ruminants, and 56% of the global emissions from poultry and pigs.
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?
It means that the production of animal protein is partially responsible
for the emission of harmful gasses that are warming up the planet
and destroying wildlife habitats. For example, The production
process of 1 kg of beef emits 300 kg CO2. Meat and milk from small
ruminants are estimated to emit 165kg and 112kg CO2/1kg of
protein respectively. Cow milk, chicken products, and pork have
lower global average emission intensities (below 100 CO2-eq/kg.)
However, almost 44% of livestock emissions are in the form of
methane (CH4)[6]. Methane is a gas that warms up the earth 20
times faster than carbon dioxide. This indicates that “the real war
against climate is being fought on our plates, multiple times a day
with every food choice we make” says Nil Zacharias, co-founder, and
Editor-in-Chief of One Green Planet. “One of the biggest challenges
facing our planet, and our species is that we are knowingly eating
ourselves into extinction, and doing very little about it.”[7]
How to Vegan Diets Protect the Environment?
Raising animals for meat, milk, and dairy production wastes
resources and damages the environment on a massive scale. When
fed to farm animals, a substantial portion of the calories and
nutrients present in grains is turned to manure. This manure
invariably pollutes local water supplies and chokes rivers and other
bodies of water. Worse yet, the meat and dairy industries are now
recognized as a leading contributor to climate change.
Let’s now look more closely at all these considerations.
Eating with the Planet in Mind
Written by Frances Moore Lappé all the way back in 1971, Diet for a
Small Planet was the most influential food politics book of its
generation. Through her writing, Lappé awakened the public to the
merits of eating lower on the food chain. That means basing your
diet directly on plants, rather than on animals who in turn eat plants.
Diet for a Small Planet was the first bestseller to explore how plant-
based diets can shrink your environmental footprint.
Lappé helped establish food politics as a serious discipline by
revealing the extraordinary inefficiencies connected to animal
farming. She showed how feeding grain to poultry and livestock
wastes tremendous amounts of food energy, protein, and other
nutrients. Not only is it a terrible loss to squander food resources on
such a massive scale, but the animal manure generated is also a
serious menace in its own right.
Animal Manure and Dead Zones
Cows and pigs and chickens produce mountains of manure, which
causes massive environmental problems. Although animal waste
makes an outstanding fertilizer, its high water content makes manure
too expensive to truck to distant farmlands to fertilize crops.
So instead of putting it to productive use as fertilizer, factory farms
often get rid of their manure by spraying it onto neighboring lands.
Predictably, this method of disposal tends to foul local water
supplies, especially well-water.
During heavy rains, flooding washes these pollutants into rivers. In
the United States, much of this farm runoff ends up in the Gulf of
Mexico, with dire consequences. The massive influx of nitrates and
phosphates cause algal blooms that create a vast oxygen-free “dead
zone” in the Gulf. The size and location of this dead zone vary with
season and weather but averages more than 15,000 square
kilometers. Whenever it expands into new territory, virtually all fish
and other marine life suffocate.17 Similar devastation for similar
reasons occurs in the Chesapeake Bay, which is surrounded by a
large portion of America’s poultry farms.
Animal Agriculture’s Contribution to Climate Change
Of all the environmental reasons to embrace a plant-based diet, the
strongest was unknown until recently. Scientists did not reach a
broad consensus about the risk of severe climate change until the
2000s. Around this time, researchers began serious work to identify
the primary sources of greenhouse gases. They thereby discovered
that the livestock industry is the main driver of climate change.
The world’s cows, pigs, and chickens probably surpass automobiles
as a cause of climate change. The 74 billion farm animals raised
worldwide each year collectively spew massive amounts of methane
into the atmosphere. Methane is an immensely potent greenhouse
gas. It traps at least thirty times more atmospheric heat than an
equal amount of carbon dioxide.
Estimates vary regarding the percentage of climate change
attributable to animal agriculture, but a comprehensive United
Nations study pegged the industry’s contribution to the problem at
about 14.5 percent.18
Now, it’s true that greater efficiencies in livestock production have,
over time, decreased emissions per animal. But regardless, animal
agriculture is still a top emitter of greenhouse gases—and is
undoubtedly the most sensible source to prioritize. Society can’t do
away with gasoline-powered cars overnight, nor can we abruptly
convert to predominantly clean energy sources for electricity. But
switching to a plant-based diet is easy, and in most cases actually
saves money. Plant-based diets, therefore, deserve recognition as
the most realistic opportunity to slash greenhouse gas emissions.
A Word About Seafood
Much of the writing addressing the “why go vegan?” question either
insufficiently covers the problems related to seafood or ignores the
topic outright. For most people moving gradually towards a
vegetarian diet, seafood is the very last food they’ll stop eating.
But there are strong reasons to rid your diet of seafood. This is
especially true for crabs and lobsters since these animals are
generally boiled alive. By all the available evidence, this is an
excruciating ordeal that’s indefensible to deliberately inflict onto
another being.19

Can Fish Suffer?

What about fish netted for food, or caught on fishing lines? Are they
capable of suffering? And, if so, how severely can they suffer?
Studies definitively prove that fish are indeed capable of suffering,
both when hooked or netted.20 However they’re caught, death
usually occurs either through suffocation. Deepwater fish often die a
particularly agonizing death—as they’re pulled to the water’s surface,
their organs frequently rupture from depressurization.
What’s more, the crowding and welfare standards at fish farms are
every bit as deplorable as at any factory farm. Fish farms often use
antibiotics in massive quantities. And the crowding at many fish
farms commonly causes infestations of gruesome parasites called
sea lice. These parasites attach themselves to the fish and eat away
at the skin, causing open lesions.
Genetic modification produces widespread deformities and even
deafness among farmed salmon. Perhaps most disturbing, these fish
routinely escape into the open ocean where they can mate with wild
fish. This interbreeding causes unpredictable and potentially ruinous
consequences to the gene pool of native fish species.

The Environmental Cost of Fishing

Overwhelming evidence places the fishing industry among the
world’s greatest environmental menaces. And the worldwide appetite
for fish is insatiable. Since 1960, the amount of seafood taken daily
from the world’s oceans, rivers, and lakes has more than tripled.21
As a result, fish populations around the world are in steep decline.22
There simply isn’t enough fish to go around, and in some parts of the
world, populations utterly depend on fish for survival. Perhaps, then,
if people must eat seafood, it should only go to populations that
would face hunger without it.
If enforcing farm animal welfare sounds hard, imagine trying to
monitor fishing boats that operate in distant oceans. Fishing boats
commonly switch off their electronic tracking equipment to evade the
enforcement of catch limits.23 In some parts of the world, fishing
fleets have unleashed irreversible environmental catastrophe. One
prime example involves the coastline of Newfoundland, which was
once among the world’s most abundant cod fisheries. Over-fishing
so ravaged the ecosystem that the cod have forever vanished,
replaced by scavenger species like crab and lobster.
The fishing industry decimates marine species of every sort. The
industry uses the term “by-catch” to describe the non-targeted
marine life it kills. The world’s fishing boats are constantly pulling
thousands of kilometers of nets through the sea. These nets ensnare
every animal in their path. Countless dolphins, sea turtles, sharks,
and seabirds suffocate in these nets. Every kilogram of shrimp
scooped up shrimping boat results in 4 to 6 kilograms of by-catch.24
 What to Expect When you go Plant-
based / Vegan?
There are certainly challenges in changing something we do multiple
times, every single day. However, if you keep your goal in mind and
know the barriers you are likely to come across we believe this
challenge can be an exciting and empowering one.

This is what you can expect to feel and experience in your 21 days
of the plant-based challenge.
Lose Weight
It’s likely that, if you follow this guide, you will lose weight1 without
counting calories or restricting your eating. People who switch to this
diet often find themselves losing 10lbs without trying and hundreds
of others have lost up to 100lbs by switching to whole, plant-based
foods
Your Cravings Change
Miraculously, as the food you eat changes, so too do your taste
buds. It might surprise you that as you progress through the
challenge you start to taste simple foods in different ways. You might
start to enjoy coriander, crave tomatoes or find a distaste for sugar
as you appreciate the taste of tea.
You Might Feel Gassy Or Bloated
In the early days of a vegan diet, you can expect symptoms like gas
and bloating

as your body adapts to the increased quantity of fiber you’re

consuming which changes the bacterial makeup of your gut. This will
take time to adjust and can be viewed as a part of the body’s
detoxification process.
More Energy
By focussing on the whole, plant-based foods you will avoid sugar
spikes and crashes and the burden on your body of digesting meat.
Together, this will result in increased levels of physical and mental
energy
Glowing Skin
Likely as a result of shifting to unprocessed plant-based fats (such
as nuts and avocados) and away from saturated fats in dairy and
meat and also avoiding the hormones found in chicken, meat and
dairy, you might notice significant changes in your skin
Nutrient-Nerd
You’ll start to become more interested in nutrition and vitamin deficiencies that are
affecting our nation and hopefully, you’ll start taking Omega-3 and B12
supplements. Large proportions of those who eat meat also suffer from these
deficiencies so don’t let this put you off, you can buy these supplements
inexpensive.
Recipes
 French Beans and Mustard Greens
Salad
Serves: 4
INGREDIENTS
200g green beans
200g sugar snap peas
100g mustard greens
50g almonds
zest of 1/2 orange
handfull of chopped chives
2tbs olive oil
2 garlic cloves (minced)
sea salt, pepper
METHOD
1. Trim the stalk ends of the beans and peas. Blanch the beans
in plenty of water for 3-4 minutes, drain and place them into a
bowl with ice water to stop them from cooking further. Make sure
to use a lot of water both for cooking and cooling to preserve the
bright green color and crunchiness of the beans. Drain and set
them aside to dry.
2. Repeat with the sugar snaps, but blanch them for only a
minute.
3. Peel the zest of an orange with a vegetable peeler and slice it
thinly.
4. Chop the almonds roughly, toast them slightly on a skillet or
in the oven.
5. In a large bowl mix the greens, beans, peas and orange zest,
add the garlic, oil, nuts, chives and season with sea salt and
pepper.
 Herbed Couscous with Grilled Zucchini
Serves: 2
INGREDIENTS
1cup couscous
2cups boiling water
sea salt, pepper
1/2can chickpeas
1cup mixed herbs (mint, coriander, dill)
1 spear spring onion
2 medium zucchini
handfull arugula
cherry tomatoes
1tbs herbed dressing
3tbs olive oil
2tbs Hummus to serve
juice of 1 lemon
METHOD
1. Place the couscous in a deep bowl, season with salt and
pepper, add boiling water. Cover it and let it stand while you
prepare the rest.
2. Preheat the oven to 190C. Drain and rinse the chickpeas,
season it with sea salt and pepper, add 1tsp of olive oil, toss it
well, spread it on the baking tray and roast it in the oven for 10,
15 minutes.
3. Chop all the herbs and spring onions finely.
4. With the fork fluff the couscous, add 1tbs olive oil, herbs and
lemon juice mixing well. Adjust the seasoning to taste.
5. Slice the zucchini lengthways into 1/2cm thick slices. Season
it with sea salt and pepper and rub it with 1tsp of olive oil. Grill it
on a hot griddle or a nonstick pan.
6. Mix the arugula and cherry tomatoes with the dressing.
7. To arrange the plates, divide the couscous and salad greens
into two bowls or plates. Add chickpeas to the couscous and top
it with grilled zucchini. Add a big dollop of hummus on the side.
Sweet Potato Chickpea Curry
Serves: 4-6
INGREDIENTS
1 large sweet potato
1 400g can chickpeas
1 large white sweet onion
2 medium tomatoes
2 garlic cloves
thumb size piece of ginger
2tbs olive oil
1/4tsp turmeric
1/2tsp cinnamon
1/2tsp curry powder
sea salt, pepper
1/2 coconut milk
coriander leaves
brown rice to serve
Method
1. Chop the garlic and ginger finely.
2. Dice the onion.
3. Peel the sweet potato and cut it into 2x2cm cubes.
4. Cut the tomatoes into 1x1cm cubes.
5. Drain and rinse the chickpeas under running cold water.
6. Heat the oil in a heavy bottom deep pan.
7. Add the onions and sauté for few minutes until slightly
golden.
8. Add the garlic, ginger, and spices and sauté until fragrant.
9. Put the sweet potatoes in the pan add water, enough to cover
all the potatoes.
10. Season with salt and pepper.
11. Bring it to a boil and let it cook for 10-15 minutes.
12. Add the chickpeas, tomatoes and let it cook uncovered for
5-10 minutes.
13. Once the potatoes are cooked through and starting to break
slightly, add the coconut milk and adjust the seasoning.
14. Bring it to a boil, add coriander and turn off the heat.
15. Serve immediately with warm brown rice.
 Roasted Baby Potato Summer Salad
Serves: 4-6
INGREDIENTS
500g baby potatoes
200g cherry tomatoes
250g button mushrooms
1 medium red onion
100g sugar snap peas
3 spring onions
1/2cup chopped herbs (dill, parsley, chives)
2tbs olive oil
sea salt, pepper
METHOD
1. Preheat the oven to 200C or turn on the top grill in the oven.
2. Boil the potatoes until cooked through in plenty of salted
water.
3. Drain the potatoes cut them into halves. Drizzle with 1/2tbs of
olive oil coating it well and spread it on a baking tray.
4. Bake or roast under the grill until slightly browned.
5. While the potatoes are cooking, slice the mushrooms, coat
them with 1tsp of olive oil and roast under the grill for 3-5
minutes.
6. Take them out and transfer into a large bowl.
7. Blanch the sugar snaps in plenty of water for one minute,
drain and rinse it with ice-cold water. Set aside to dry.
8. Slice the onions, cut the tomatoes in half, chop the herbs.
9. Add all the ingredients into a bowl with mushrooms, mix well
and season with salt and pepper.
Best Hummus Ever
INGREDIENTS
250g dry chickpeas
1tsp bicarbonate of soda
150g tahini
5tbs lemon juice (or to taste)
2 garlic gloves
50ml cold water
sea salt pepper
METHOD
1. Wash the dry chickpeas well the day before.
2. Rinse them and soak overnight in cold water twice their
volume.
3. The next day rinses and drain them and put them in a pot
with bicarbonate of soda.
4. Cook the chickpeas with soda on high heat for about 3
minutes, stirring constantly.
5. Add 1 1/2 liters of freshwater and let it boil.
6. Once it starts boiling you’ll need to skim the foam and some
of the skins that would float to the surface. It takes only 20
minutes for the chickpeas to be fully cooked, I’m guessing this is
due to the addition of soda. But it may take longer if the beans
are bigger or older. It should be cooked to the point of breaking
easily when lightly pressed on.
7. Drain the chickpeas and transfer them into a food processor
or a high-speed blender.
8. Add all the ingredients except water and blend until very
smooth and fluffy, adding water a little at a time if necessary.
9. It will thicken once you refrigerate it so don’t be afraid to add
more cold water if it’s too thick for the processor to blend it well
into a smooth paste.
10. Adjust the seasoning and transfer the hummus into a bowl
and refrigerate for at least 30 min before serving.
Lentils With Herbs and Grilled Veggies
INGREDIENTS
2 cups cooked dark lentils
1 medium aubergine
2 medium carrot
2 medium tomatoes
1 large white sweet onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
2tbs olive oil
few springs of thyme
sea salt, pepper
loosely packed cup of mixed chopped herbs (dill, parsley,
coriander, chives)
juice of 1 lemon
Hummus to serve
METHOD
1. Preheat the oven to 180C.
2. Cut the aubergine, carrots and onions and tomatoes into
cubes.
3. Put them into a large bowl, add minced garlic, thyme, sea
salt, pepper and a spoon of olive oil.
4. Mix well and spread it on a baking sheet.
5. Bake it for 20-30 minutes until slightly browned on the edges
and the carrots are soft.
6. In a large bowl mix the cooked lentils with grilled vegetables,
add the herbs and the remaining olive oil.
7. Season to taste with salt and pepper add a squeeze of lemon
if you like.
8. Serve it with Hummus or tahini and warm bread.
 Vegan Bolognese Lasagna
Serves: 6-8

Ingredients
1 pack lasagna sheets
1/2 recipe Vegan Bolognese
For the Béchamel:
2tbs oat flour
2tbs olive oil
200g Cashew Cream
1/4 garlic powder
1 small sweet potato
1 large carrot
a hand-size piece of cauliflower
4tbs nutritional yeast
sea salt, pepper
grated nutmeg (optional)
 METHOD
1. Boil sweet potato, carrot, and cauliflower in a small pot of
water until cooked through, drain the water, reserving 1 cup.
2. Blend the vegetables in a high-speed blender until
completely smooth.
3. Add a little reserved water if needed
To make Béchamel:
1. Heat the oil in a heavy bottom pan.
2. Add flour and cook it until bubbly. Start adding water,
whisking it continuously.
3. Once it reaches the consistency of a cream, add blended
vegetables, cream, and nutritional yeast.
4. The sauce will thicken when you add cashew cream so
you’ll need to adjust the creaminess with the reserved water if
needed.
5. Now you can season it to your taste and add nutmeg if
using.
To make lasagna:
1. You’ll need a baking dish that is approximately 25x35cm or
30x30cm and 10cm deep.
2. Preheat the oven to 180C.
3. Spread a layer of bechamel sauce on the bottom of the
baking dish then layer it with lasagna sheets.
4. Then a layer of Bolognese.
5. Repeat the layers of béchamel, pasta, and Bolognese until
the sauces are used up.
6. Most of the times I use only half of the pasta and all of both
sauces within 5 layers.
7. Finish it with whatever sauce you have left.
8. I usually end up using a bit of both for the topping. If you
have a good vegan cheese you can sprinkle it on top. I usually
don’t use any commercial cheese and it’s absolutely fine.
9. Cover it with the foil and bake it in the oven for 30 minutes.
 10. Uncover it and bake it for another 15, 20 minutes until it
starts turning golden brown on the edges and the top.
11. Remove from the oven and let it stand for 5 minutes
covered with foil before serving.
 Vegan Spaghetti Bolognese
Serves: 6-8

INGREDIENTS
300g block of very firm tofu
2 medium carrot
200g mushroom
3 cloves of garlic
2tbs olive oil
2 cans of chopped tomatoes (or 5, 6 medium fresh tomatoes)
1tbs tomato paste
1tbs molasses
1tbsp soy sauce
1tsp cinnamon
1/2tsp nutmeg
1tsp oregano
salt, pepper to taste
handfull of basil leaves
1tbs nutritional yeast (optional)
half the pack of whole-wheat spaghetti 250g
METHOD
1. Mash the tofu with a potato masher, set aside.
2. In a food processor pulse the carrot chunks into a grainy
consistency, the pieces should be the size of rice grains.
3. Set that aside and do the same with mushrooms, careful
not to over-process it into a mash.
4. Chop up or grate garlic on Microplane.
5. Heat up olive oil in a saucepan, throw in the mushrooms
and carrots.
6. Sauté it for a couple of minutes then add garlic, spices, salt,
and pepper.
7. Sauté until fragrant then add tofu.
8. Now add soy sauce, tomato paste, and molasses, mix well
and sauté for few more minutes.
9. Add canned or fresh chopped tomatoes, season it with salt
and pepper and let it cook for 10, 15 minutes adjusting the
consistency.
10. Add a little water if it’s too thick or let it reduce down if it’s
too watery.
11. In the meantime cook spaghetti according to the
instructions on the package. I love all my pasta aldente.
12. Once the sauce is done add nutritional yeast (optional)
and chopped basil leaves, turn off the stove.
13. Drain cooked spaghetti, add half the sauce, mix well,
serve and let the family dig in immediately.
14. Let the rest of the sauce cool down to room temperature,
store it in an airtight container and freeze it up to 3 months
 Mushroom Cream Pasta
Serves: 4-6
INGREDIENTS
1 pack 500g Rigatoni
500g button mushroom (sliced)
olive oil
3 cloves garlic (minced)
200g Cashew Cream
generous handful arugula (optional)
parsley
sea salt, pepper
1cup water
2tbs lemon juice
METHOD
1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
2. Cook Rigatoni according to the packaging instructions. While
it’s cooking make the sauce.
3. Heat the oil slightly in a large skillet.
4. Sauté sliced mushrooms until slightly browned.
5. Add garlic and sauté for a couple of minutes longer.
6. Add cashew cream and half of the water and cook until it
starts bubbling.
7. With the heat the cashew cream thickens so you’ll need to
adjust it with the rest of the water, you might need to add a little
more or a little less.
8. Once you adjust the thickness of the sauce, season with sea
salt and pepper.
9. Turn off the heat. Add the sauce into cooked Rigatoni mixing
well.
10. Add arugula and parsley. Serve immediately, enjoy!
 Spinach with Mushrooms and Cream
Serves: 4-6
INGREDIENTS
1tbs olive oil
1 large onion
2 garlic cloves
1/2tsp turmeric
1/2tsp cumin
1/2tsp ground coriander
200g mushrooms sliced
500g fresh spinach
sea salt, pepper
1/2cup coconut milk
1tbs Cashew Cream
METHOD
1. Heat the oil in a saucepan, sauté the onions and garlic.
2. Add the spices and sauté until fragrant.
3. Add the mushrooms and sauté for 5 minutes.
4. Add the spinach and let it wilt, then add coconut milk and
cream and season with salt and pepper to taste.
5. Simmer for few minutes and turn off the heat.
6. Serve it with rice or lentils.
 Red Lentil and Squash Curry
Serves: 4-6
INGREDIENTS
1tbs olive oil
1 big onion diced
3 cloves garlic minced
thumb size piece of ginger minced
1 cup dry red lentils rinsed
1 1/2cup squash or pumpkin cut into 2x2cm cubes
1 large tomato diced
1cup kale chopped roughly
A handful of coriander leaves
sea salt, black pepper
1/2tsp yellow curry powder
1/4tsp turmeric
1/4tsp cinnamon
1tsp paprika
1/2cup coconut milk
brown or basmati rice to serve
METHOD
1. In a saucepan heat the olive oil and sauté the onion, garlic,
and ginger.
2. Add the spices and sauté until fragrant.
3. Add the lentils and about two cups of water.
4. Season with salt and pepper and let it simmer for 15-20
minutes.
5. Add the squash and cook further until the squash and lentils
are cooked through, adding more water if needed.
6. Add the tomatoes and coconut milk.
7. Simmer for 5 minutes further.
8. Taste, adjust the seasoning and add the kale and coriander.
9. Turn off the heat right away and serve it with basmati or
brown rice
 Stuffed Zucchini
Serves: 3-4 people
INGREDIENTS
4 medium zucchini
For the Filling:
1tbs olive oil
1/2 cup cooked brown rice
1 medium carrot
1/2 medium onion
2 cloves garlic
1 small tomato
1/4 cup dill and spring onion
3-4 button mushrooms (optional)
salt, pepper
For the Sauce:
1tbs olive oil
1/2 onion
2 cloves garlic
1/2 red bell pepper
4-5 tomatoes
1/2tsp paprika
1/4tsp cumin
1tsp tomato paste
salt, black pepper
 METHOD
1. Chop the onion, carrot, garlic and mushrooms roughly and
blitz them in a food processor.
2. Just pulse it long enough for the vegetables to turn into
crumbs, not 3. paste. Alternatively, chop everything finely.
4. Sauté the vegetables in olive oil.
5. Add the rice and herbs and mix well turning the heat off.
6. Cut the zucchini in half.
7. Scoop out the center of the zucchini from the cut side with a
small scoop or a teaspoon.
8. Fill it with the rice and vegetable mix.
To make the sauce,
1. sauté the onion, garlic and spices, add the bell pepper and
tomatoes and season with salt and pepper to taste.
2. Simmer the sauce for 10, 15 minutes.
3. Pour half of the sauce into a small pot.
4. Put stuffed zucchini in and pour the rest of the sauce over
it.
5. Cover with the lid and cook for about 20-25 minutes.
6. Sprinkle with some fresh herbs before serving.
 Foul Mudammas
While the majority of Egyptian cuisine makes liberal use of animal
products, I feel the need to point out that not one, but two of Egypt’s
national dishes, are 100% vegan; Koshary and Foul Mudammas.
Both are cheap, easy to find, high in plant-based protein and
downright delicious.

I often prepare store-bought canned Foul (pronounced fool, FYI) as

a complement to my salads or stuffing for wraps and sandwiches,
but nothing compares to having some fresh foul for breakfast. In my
recipe, the creamy and warm cumin-infused fava beans complement
the crunchy fresh vegetables perfectly to create a hearty breakfast
dish that comes together in minutes.
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Start by draining and rinsing your canned beans, before
adding to a medium-sized pan on low heat along with the water.
2. Using a fork or potato masher, mash the roughly until there
are very few whole beans left. Stir in more water as needed
along with the garlic, cumin, salt, and pepper. Allow the mixture
to heat thoroughly for a few minutes before turning off the heat.
3. Stir in your chopped veggies, parsley, lime juice and olive
oil. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
4. Finish with a tablespoon of tahini on top and serve with
your bread of choice. Whatever you do, don’t skimp on the
cumin and lime juice – oh and the onions. Foul just isn’t foul to
me if there are no onions.
INGREDIENTS
1 can of Fava Beans
½ - ¾ cups of water
1 medium tomato, diced
½ a medium red onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 small cucumber, diced
2-3 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
½ tbsp cumin powder
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp tahini
1 tbsp of lime juice
Sea salt and black pepper to taste
Rice Pudding - Rozz bi Laban
 METHOD
1. Pour a cup of almond milk into a saucepan, add spices,
bring it to a boil.
2. Rinse the rice under running water and admit to the
saucepan. Once it starts boiling reduce heat, add a pinch of
sea salt.
3. Keep adding milk one cup at a time until rice is cooked
through and has a creamy consistency. You can remove
cardamom and cinnamon stick at any time during cooking if
you like the milder taste.
4. Add half of the syrup and raisins. Divide into bowls,
sprinkle with crushed pistachios (or any other available nuts)
and drizzle the rest of the syrup over it.
 INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup short-grain rice
4 cups almond milk
2 -3 pods of cardamom
1 small cinnamon stick
1/4 tsp ground ginger
pinch of sea salt
2 tbs preferred sweetener, you may want less or more,
depending on the type of sweetener you use (rice, maple,
agave syrup or honey)
1/4 cup golden raisins (soaked overnight in cold water)
1/4 toasted pistachios (Optional)
Oven Roasted Potatoes
METHOD
1. In a medium bowl, marinate potato cubes with rosemary,
oregano, garlic powder, pepper, paprika, a pinch of lemon juice,
and 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil, tossing to combine.
2. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and roast potatoes on
top oven rack for 20 minutes - 30 minutes or until crispy and
brown.
3. Serve with a dip for a snack, with white rice for lunch, or
over green salad for dinner.
INGREDIENTS
2 red potatoes, cut into fourths (3/4-inch chunks)
1 teaspoon dried rosemary leaves, crushed
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon of garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon of paprika
1/2 teaspoon of black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt & olive oil - (optional)
Baked Falafel
METHOD
1. Soak fava beans in water for 8 hours to overnight. Drain.
2. Combine soaked fava beans, onions, parsley, cilantro, dill,
garlic, coriander, salt, cumin, and bicarbonate in a food
processor. Pulse to a dough-like consistency. You want your
fava beans to be finely pulsed but not necessarily into a puree.
Larger bites here and there are encouraged.
3. Shape fava bean mixture into balls, then press them down
with the palm of your hands into burger-shaped discs. Sprinkle
sesame seeds on top of each.
4. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with
parchment paper or a silicone mat. Add the falafel discs and
bake for 15 minutes, then flip and bake 10 minutes more.
5. Serve in Pita bread with slices of onion, greens, cucumber,
and tomato.
INGREDIENTS
2 cups dried split fava beans
1 red onion, or 1 bunch of green (spring) onions, or a
combination of both, roughly chopped
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1/2 cup fresh dill, chopped
3 cloves garlic, peeled
1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda
1 teaspoon of cornstarch
1 cup sesame seeds (optional)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt (optional)
Lunch Recipe - Basic No-Oil Hummus
METHOD
1. Place chickpeas, garlic, lemon zest and juice in a blender.
2. Start blending it and adding a little bit of water, just
enough for the mixture to form a paste and work inside the
blender.
3. Don't worry if it seems a little too runny.
4. Blend it until it is completely smooth then add tahini, salt,
and pepper. It should thicken up after adding tahini and
refrigerating it for a few hours.
INGREDIENTS
1 Can of Chickpeas or 400gm Home Cooked (well soaked
and boiled till soft)
2 Cloves of Garlic
Zest and Juice of one big Lemon
3 tbs of Tahini
Salt and Pepper
Cold Water
 Tofu Scramble
Serves: 1
INGREDIENTS
100g block firm tofu
1/4tsp turmeric
sea salt, black pepper
spear of green onion
handful of parsley
1tbs olive oil (optional)
METHOD
1. Place the tofu on a nonstick pan, mash it into a crumble with
the fork.
2. Turn on the heat, add turmeric, salt, pepper and a spoon of
water so the flavors are evenly distributed.
3. Once it’s heated through and water is evaporated add the
herbs, mix well and turn off the heat.
You don’t want it to be too dry. Add olive oil if using.
4. Serve it along with greens or in pita bread sandwich with
some hummus or tahini.
Sweet Potato Soup
METHOD
1. Fry the garlic, ginger and lemongrass in coconut oil with the
curry powder.
2. Stir over medium heat for about 2 minutes.
3. Add the sweet potato and red pepper, keep stirring for
another 2 minutes.
4, Add the broth (or water), bring to a boil, then lower the heat
and simmer for 20 minutes.
5. Remove the lemongrass and transfer the soup to a blender.
6. Puree until very smooth then return to the pot and heat over
medium fire, until desired consistency is reached. You can add
the coconut milk at that point, or serve right away with lime on
the side.
INGREDIENTS
2 cloves garlic, sliced
1 tbsp grated ginger
1 stalk lemongrass
1/2 tsp curry powder
2 tbsp coconut oil
250 g sweet potato, peeled, diced
1 red pepper, sliced
2 cups broth or water
salt to taste
1 lime, juice only
Optional: ½ cup coconut milk, chili pepper, fresh basil or coriander
Beetroot Soup
METHOD
1. Fry the onion for a few minutes until it becomes translucent.
2. Add the other vegetables and stir fry for 2 minutes.
3. Add the broth or water, bring to a boil, then lower the heat
and let it simmer for 20 minutes.
4. Puree in a blender until very smooth, then return to the pot
and heat over medium fire, until desired consistency is
reached.
INGREDIENTS
1 medium onion, sliced
2 tbsp coconut or olive oil
300 g beetroot, diced
100 g carrot or sweet potato, diced
3 cups broth or water
salt to taste
Optional: thyme, ginger, garlic, fennel
Zucchini Soup
METHOD
1. Fry the garlic and onion in olive oil for about 2 minutes until
the onions are translucent.
2. Add the zucchini and leek, and stir for about 5 minutes.
3. Add the broth (or water) and milk, bring to a boil, then turn
on low heat and simmer for about 15 minutes.
4. Transfer the soup to a blender and puree until smooth, then
return to the pot and heat for a few minutes, until desired
consistency is reached.
INGREDIENTS
500 g zucchini
1 medium onion
1 leek
1 clove garlic
2 tbsp olive oil
3 cups broth or water
salt to taste
Optional: fresh coriander leaves, ½ cup pumpkin or almond milk
 Chickpea Egg-less Salad
Serves: 2
INGREDIENTS
1can chickpeas
4tbs cashew cream
1 small red onion
1tbs capers
1/3cup chopped dill
1 spring onion
1tsp Dijon Mustard
1 sweet pickle
seas salt, pepper
juice of 1 lemon
METHOD
1. Drain chickpeas and rinse it under running cold water.
2. Dice the onion.
3. Rinse the capers and chop them roughly.
4. Chop the herbs and spring onion.
5. Dice the pickle.
6. Crush the chickpeas slightly with the fork in a large bowl.
7. Add all the rest of the ingredients into it and season it with
sea salt and pepper, add lemon juice.
8. Serve it on seeded bread as a sandwich or stuff it into pita
bread or just have it with some salad and grilled veggies on the
side.
 Raw Falafel Salad
Serves: 2
INGREDIENTS
1 head of lettuce
1 portion of raw falafel (see below)
1 tomato, diced
1 cucumber, diced
Tahini sauce
Optional: Flatbread to make it a salad wrap
These raw falafel balls are a great substitute to the original ta’meya
which is full of oil and made with beans that are hard to digest.
Walnuts are an excellent source of omega-3 and you get your daily
dose of greens with the parsley and coriander.
RAW FALAFEL INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cups walnuts, soaked for 3 hours
3/4 cup parsley
¾ cup coriander
1 tbsp olive oil
1 clove garlic
1 tsp cumin
½ tsp ground coriander seeds
pinch of salt
sesame seeds
RAW FALAFEL METHOD
1. Drain walnuts and rinse well
2. Blend all the ingredients together in a food processor until the
walnuts are completely blended and the mixture starts to stick. It
may take a few minutes
3. Prepare a bowl with ¼ cup sesame seeds in it, they can be
raw or toasted
4. Take the dough and form small balls
5. Throw each ball into the bowl to cover it with seeds.
6. Leave out to dry for about 1 hour before eating.
Keep refrigerated up to 3 days.
 Sweet Potato Salad
On the sweeter side, this salad would appeal more to those who
have a sweet tooth and don’t eat enough vegetables!

Serves 2
INGREDIENTS
1 head of lettuce
2 steamed or roasted sweet potatoes
2 tbsp pumpkin seeds
Optional: raw spinach or kale
Sweet Mustard Dressing:
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp maple syrup, or honey
1 tsp mustard, or more
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 pinch of thyme
1 pinch of sage
½ tsp salt
Black pepper to taste
Healthy Nut Salad
INSTRUCTIONS
In a large bowl, toss lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, onions,
radish together. Pour dressing over the fruit and lettuce and toss
again to combine. Top salad with spices and roasted almonds. Serve
immediately.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR DRESSING
1. Combine the cilantro bunch, lime juice, avocado, garlic, oil
and cumin to a blender or food processor. Pulse 3-4 times (or
until ingredients are combined).
2. Add salt and red pepper flakes to taste. If you want a
thinner consistency, add water as needed.
INGREDIENTS
2 Tomatoes chopped
2 Cucumbers chopped
4 handfuls of chopped Lettuce, baby spinach or a mix of
available greens
1 handful Cilantro chopped
1 Carrot chopped
1 Red Onion chopped
1 radish chopped
7 Almonds whole or chopped
1/2 Avocado (optional)
Dressing
1 bunch cilantro roughly chopped.
1 lime juiced
1/2 avocado (optional for a creamy texture)
1 garlic clove
2 tbsp oil olive
1/4 tsp cumin
salt to taste (optional)
red pepper flakes (optional)
Stuffed Grape Vine Leaves (Waraa
Einab)
INGREDIENTS
For brown rice filling
1 Cup Long or Short Grain Brown Rice
1/4 Cup Tomatoes, diced
1/2 cup Parsley, chopped
1 Lemon, Freshly Squeezed
1 Tbsp Vegetable Oil
1/4 Tsp Fresh Dried Mint
Pinch of ground black pepper
For rolling/cooking
60-70 Grape Vine Leaves
1 Lemon, thinly sliced
Water
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Soak grapevine leaves in a large bowl of water for 10-15
minutes. Wash the leaves gently, then stack them on a plate
and set them aside.
2. Cover the leaves with a damp cloth so they don’t dry out
until you’re ready to start rolling them.
3. Place 1 cup of brown rice and 3 cups of water in a pot and
bring to a boil. Let boil on medium heat, uncovered, for about
20 minutes until half cooked. Drain and let cool.
4. Add rice to a large mixing bowl and top with diced
tomatoes, chopped parsley, lemon juice, ground black pepper,
and dried mint. Mix well to combine.
5. Line the bottom of a pot with some grape leaves, some
onions and some lemon slices.
6. Stuff and roll the rest of the grape leaves. Rolling grape
leaves is a bit tedious but think of it as if you’re rolling a wrap.
Place 1 teaspoon of the rice mixture into the center of the leaf,
then fold the sides on top of the rice, and roll it tightly.
7. Neatly arrange the stuffed and rolled grape leaves in rows,
alternating directions, to completely cover the circumference of
your pot. Drizzle 1/2 tablespoon of Oil between layers and on
top. Keep oil to the bare minimum though.
8. Top with thinly sliced lemon.
9. Place a small plate or pot lid directly on top of the leaves, to
prevent them from floating while they cook.
10. Add water to completely cover the grape leaf rolls and
reach the plate or pot lid.
11. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, reduce heat to
medium and let simmer, uncovered, for about 10 minutes.
12. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for about
35-40 minutes or until all of the water has been absorbed.
13. Since cooking time varies by stovetop, taste the grape
leaves, and if the rice still seems undercooked, you can add 1/4
cup of water and continue cooking for an additional 5 minutes.
14. Remove from heat and let cool uncovered until you can
handle them with your fingers, then carefully transfer them to a
serving dish, one by one.
Spiced Lentils with Mix Vegetables
METHOD
1. Heat the oil in a saucepan. Add onions and carrots, sauté
for few minutes.
2. Add garlic, cinnamon and season with salt, sauté until
fragrant.
3. Add zucchini, aubergine, and cauliflower.
4. Sauté until it starts to get a little color.
5. Add lentils and season with salt and pepper, add spring
onions and coriander.
6. Stir until the lentils are heated through and coated with all
the flavors.
This should make 2 moderate servings that can be served with some
Hummus and flatbread or one generous bowl that would be a great
post-workout meal.
INGREDIENTS
1 cup cooked brown lentils
1 tbs olive oil
1 medium carrot, diced
1 small red onion, diced
1 clove garlic, grated
1 medium zucchini
1 small or half medium Aubergine
handfull of cauliflower florets
1 spring onion
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2tsp ground ginger
salt pepper to taste
coriander to garnish
Traditional Egyptian Okra
METHOD
1. Sauté onions and garlic in vegetable oil for 2-3 minutes or
until yellowed and aromatic. If you’re eliminating oil entirely
from your diet, you can swirl onions and garlic in some water
instead.
2. Add tomato juice, salt and spices bring to a boil.
3. Simmer sauce for 5 minutes, then add okra and bring to a
boil.
4. Turn down the heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes.
5. Serve with white rice or toasted pita bread and lemon
wedges.
INGREDIENTS
Okra - 1/2 kilo or 1 frozen bag
Large Onion - 1 chopped
Garlic - 3 cloves crushed
Vegetable Oil - 1 tbsp (max 2 tbsp)
Tomato juice/sauce - 1-1/2 cup
A pinch of cinnamon and allspice
Salt and pepper to taste
Lemon wedges
Lobia (Black-Eyed) Beans & Mushroom
METHOD
1. Place beans and water in a pot. 2. Bring to boil. Discard the
water from the first boil. This is usually recommended not only
to ease the digestion of beans but also rid them of any
unwanted toxins.
Bring beans to a boil again, cover and turn down the heat,
simmer for 20-30 minutes or till tender.
3. Sauté chopped onions in a frying pan using 1 Tbsp of Olive
Oil until the onion turns golden in color.
4. Add mushrooms, stir/fry till they wilt.
5. Add fresh tomato juice, tomato paste, and season with salt,
pepper, and cumin. Add 1 cup of water or homemade vegetable
broth and simmer for 5-10 minutes.
6. Add the boiled beans to the salsa pan and let it simmer for
10 more minutes. If preferred, season with lemon juice.
7. Serve with a green salad and white rice as usual.
INGREDIENTS
Olive Oil - 1 Tbsp
Fresh Tomato Juice - 1 Cup
Tomato paste - 1 Tbsp
Lobia (Black-eyed Beans) - 1 Kilo
Mushroom - 1 Kilo
1 Onion - chopped
Black Pepper - 1 tsp
Salt - 1 tsp (Optional)
Water - 1 Cup
White Beans in Tomato Sauce
 METHOD
1. Wash the beans and bring them to boil over medium heat.
2. Discard water from the first boil. Then cover beans with 4
cups of water and bring to boil again.
3. Leave over medium heat until it’s soft and well cooked.
Approximately 45 minutes.
4. Drain the water and leave beans on the side to cool.
5. Slice tomatoes into small cubes and blend them until
they’re turning to juice.
6. Saute the minced onion in 1 tbsp of vegetable oil until
golden.
7. Add tomato juice, coriander, black pepper, cumin and stir
well.
8. Cover the saucepan and leave tomato mixture over low
heat for 10 minutes.
9. Add 1 tbsp of tomato paste and lemon juice, then stir to
boil.
10. Bring back the beans to the pan and let it cook in the
tomato sauce for five/ten minutes over low heat.
11. Serve with white rice and a green salad or vegetable soup.
 INGREDIENTS
Fresh Tomatoes - 200 g
Ground Coriander - 1 Tbsp
Lemon Juice - 1 Tbsp
Tomato paste - 1 Tbsp
White Beans - 1 kg
Onion - 1 minced
Vegetable Oil - 1 Tbsp
Spices: Black Pepper, Cumin
Salt (optional)
 Vegan Mahshy
The base of this meal is preparing the stuffing made of rice, herbs
(parsley, coriander, and dill), semi-cooked tomato sauce and a pinch
Of cinnamon and allspice. Once this filling is ready, you can use any
vegetable of your choice. In Egypt we use cored zucchini, cored
eggplants, cabbage leaves, grapevine leaves, or small bell peppers.
INGREDIENTS
1 cup short-grain rice
1 large onion, chopped
1 large onion sliced in thick slices
½ cup tomato sauce
Half a bunch of the following: parsley, coriander, and dill
½ ts cinnamon
¼ ts allspice
1 ½ tbsp sunflower oil
Salt and pepper to taste
One serving of any of the following vegetables (use more than one if
you like but adjust quantities to match the rice):

8 pieces of zucchini- Choose pieces that are slightly fat and

short or
8 pieces of eggplant or
20 cabbage leaves (blanched and middle rib removed)
20 vine leaves (blanched)
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Sauté chopped onions in 1 tbsp oil for 3 minutes or until
wilted and yellow. Add the tomato sauce, salt, pepper, and
spices. Simmer for 3 minutes.
2. Rinse the rice thoroughly and drain. Finely chop the herbs.
Add the prepared tomato sauce and herbs to the rice and mix
well.
3. Core your veggies. Try to remove most of the core leaving
only a thin outer shell, taking care not to break or pierce the
vegetables.
If you are using eggplant, put each piece in a bowl of water as
you core them one by one to avoid the eggplant darkening in
color.
If you are using leafy vegetable blanch and cool the leaves.
4. Using a teaspoon, stuff each vegetable with the rice mixture
pushing down the rice as you add more with the handle of the
spoon. Leave ½ inch unstuffed to allow the rice to expand when
cooked.
5. Add ½ tbsp. oil to the bottom of a non-stick pot. Arrange the
onion slices to cover the bottom. This is to avoid the bottoms of
the vegetables being charred if the water dries out and it also
gives a nice flavor to the meal.
6. Arrange the stuffed vegetables on top of the onions in a
slightly standing position to avoid the rice spilling out.
Egyptian Molokheya
INGREDIENTS
1/2 kilo Molokheya
3 clove garlic peeled and minced
1 Onion peeled and minced
1 Slice of Carrot
Cardamom
Water - 2 cups
Black Pepper
Dried Coriander - 1/4 tbsp
INSTRUCTIONS
1. In a saucepan, put 2 cups of water together with the onion,
cardamom and carrot slice and bring to boil. Strain and keep
broth on the side.
2. Saute the garlic in another saucepan until golden. Pour the
broth and add the chopped molokheya leaves. Bring to simmer.
3. Season with black pepper and add dried coriander. Let it
simmer for 15-20 minutes with frequent stirring.
4. Serve hot with white rice and a salad.
Optional
Add 1 tbsp of olive oil into a small skillet. Stir in garlic, cumin, and
dried coriander. When the garlic is golden brown, pour the mixture
over the surface of the simmering molokhia. Squeeze the lemon
juice in and serve immediately.
SWEET POTATO BURGER
INGREDIENTS
1 large or two small sweet potato
1 cup cooked chickpeas
1/2 onion piece
1 cup spinach
1 cup parsley
1/3 cup tahini
1/2 cup of dietary yeast
1 tbs smoked paprika, garlic powder, and soy sauce
1 tsp cumin, coriander powder
1/4 tsp cinnamon, hot pepper
Salt and black pepper to taste
1 cup cooked Quinoa
METHOD
1. Poke the sweet potatoes and put them in the oven at a
temperature of 350 for 45 minutes to an hour until the potatoes
are soft (you can check them with a knife, if it goes in smoothly
then they are done)
2. Let the sweet potatoes cool down for 10-20 minutes then peel
them off
3. Cut the onion, parsley and spinach into small pieces
4. In a large bowl, add the cooked and peeled sweet potatoes,
onion, coriander, spinach, cooked chickpeas, tahini, yeast food,
all the spices and sauces
5. Mix all the ingredients and press them with a fork or hand to
mix the ingredients (salt and pepper to taste)
6. Add the quinoa and mix all the ingredients together until well
combined (if it is not sticking together, you can put it in the
refrigerator for 20 minutes, and you can keep adding more
quinoa)
7. Form into burger patties and enter the oven at 350 ° F for 20
minutes for each side of the burger (40 minutes full)
8. You can serve it with vegetarian mayonnaise, barbecue
sauce, tomatoes, onions, spinach or lettuce.
 Vegetable Lasagna
Time: 1-2 hours
Serves: 2-4
This recipe consists of four parts: zucchini sheets, Bolognese sauce,
tomato sauce, and béchamel/cheese layer.
For this recipe, preparation is key!
To save a lot of time, make sure all sauces are ready (in their
full amount).
INGREDIENTS
For the Zucchini sheets:
1kg zucchini
2 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper
Bolognese sauce
Tomato sauce
For the Bechamel sauce:
You could skip this step and use melting cheese instead. For
bechamel, cook the following in a pan over medium fire for 2
minutes:
1 cup almond or cashew milk
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp starch
pinch of salt
pinch of nutmeg
METHOD
1. Preheat the oven on 170ºC.
2. Wash the zucchini and slice lengthwise into pieces 3-5 mm
thick.
3. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
4. Brush an oven tray with olive oil and place the zucchini
pieces on it, and bake for 10 minutes in the upper part of the
oven (or grill).
5. You will probably have to refill the tray and repeat the
process, unless your oven is huge!
6. Once all the zucchinis have been cooked, set aside.
7. Keep the oven on.
8. Place the layers in an oven tray or taagen in this order:
• zucchini
• Bolognese sauce
• zucchini
• tomato sauce
• zucchini
• tomato sauce
• Béchamel or melting cheese.
9. Bake for at least 30 minutes.
 Grilled Veggie Skewers
Grilled Veggie Skewers are great for a light healthy dinner. They
are simple and pretty easy to make. Just make sure you slice your
vegetables at roughly the same thickness, so they cook at the same
rate. Marinate veggies for 10-15 minutes before grilling them. This
will give them great flavor and help them brown nicely.
INGREDIENTS
1 Zucchini, Sliced
1 Red Bell Pepper, Seeded and sliced into 2-inch squares
1 Yellow Bell Pepper, Seeded and sliced into 2-inch squares
1 Geen Bell Pepper, Seeded and sliced into 2-inch squares
1 Red Onion halved and quartered
1 Yellow Squash, Sliced - (if available)
Vinaigrette for Marination
1 Lemon, Juice, and Zest
2 Tbsp White Vinegar
1 Tbsp Black Pepper
1 Tbsp Thyme
1 Clove Garlic, Crushed and Chopped
1 Teaspoon Salt - (Optional)
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Place the cut vegetables into a large mixing bowl and
marinate well in vinaigrette. Coat the vegetables thoroughly.
2. Skewer the vegetables in random order on bamboo skewers.
3. Grill the Skewers over direct flame.
4. Serve with white rice and your choice of Lebanese Mezza
 Mushroom Burgers
Time: Under 1 hour

Serves: 4

INGREDIENTS
1 large onion
200g mushrooms
¼ cup olive oil
4 garlic cloves
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
1 cup cooked lentils or black-eyed peas or beans or quinoa
1 cup any type of flour
¼ cup ground flax seeds
1 handful parsley, finely chopped
SAUCE INGREDIENTS:
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 tbsp water
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp soy sauce, or mustard
1 tbsp any dried herbs
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp coriander
½ tsp cacao
pinch of cinnamon
pinch of nutmeg
Optional Toppings: Almond Hummus and Avocados.
 METHOD

1. Throw the onions, mushrooms, and garlic in a food processor and

blend until the pieces are less than 5mm thick.
2. Fry on low-medium heat, with salt and olive oil, for 5 minutes - the
onions should become transparent.
3. Transfer to a big bowl and wait until it cools down.
Meanwhile, you can mix the sauce ingredients together in a bowl.
4. Once ready, place everything together in a big bowl and mix until
you get a sticky mixture that holds itself well.
5. Adjust salt to taste.
6. Form into burger patties or small ‘’ meatballs’’. You can make any
shape you like!
The patties can store in the fridge for up to 5 days, or you can freeze
them for months.
To cook, generously coat a pan with coconut oil and fry for 5 minutes
on each side.
 Coconut Vegetable Curry
Time: Under 1 hour
Serves: 2-4
INGREDIENTS
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tbsp grated ginger
2 medium tomatoes
1 onion (optional)
2 tbsp coconut or raw sesame oil
2 tbsp curry powder
4 cups of vegetables*
2 cups coconut milk
1 tbsp sweetener of choice
1 tbsp fresh basil
1 handful spinach or kale
salt to taste
Optional: 1 stalk of lemongrass (cut into smaller pieces), chili powder
or fresh hot peppers
*My favorite combination is broccoli, carrot, peas and mushrooms. I
also like sweet potato curry but it’s better to pre-cook the sweet
potato and then add it to the rest.
METHOD
1. Fry the garlic, ginger, tomato and onion to a large pan or pot
on medium heat.
2. Keep stirring for 2 minutes, then
3. Add the vegetables, salt and the curry powder. Stir for
another minute or two.
4. Add the coconut milk and let simmer for about 10 minutes.
5. Add in the greens and sweetener, and taste to see if you
need to add more salt.
Serving suggestion: enjoy with basmati rice or rice noodles
 Pizza
Time: Under 1 hour

Serves: 2 INGREDIENTS
For the Crust (2 store-bought or):
1 and ½ cup gluten-free flour
3/4 cup water
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp ground flax seeds
pinch of salt
pinch of thyme
For the Tomato Sauce:
3 tomatoes
1 clove garlic
1 tsp salt
1 tsp dried oregano
2 tbsp fresh basil
1 tbsp olive oil
For the Cheese:
½ cup of melting cheese
METHOD

For the Crust:

1. Mix all ingredients together in a bowl until well combined
 2. Use your hands to form a ball, and flatten it on your kitchen
surface
3. Use a rolling pin to make it as thin as possible!
For the Tomato Sauce:
1. Blend all ingredients except the basil
2. Cook in a large pan over medium fire for 5 minutes until it
thickens
3. Add the basil.
4. Set aside once it has achieved desired consistency.
For the Pizza:
1. Preheat the oven at 200ºC.
2. Prepare two pizza crusts and spread on a baking paper sheet
- The thinner, the better! They can reach about 25cm diameter
each. You can use a plastic sheet on top to help even it out.
3. Then spread sauce generously
4. Add ¼ cup of melting cheese for each pizza and top with
dried herbs.
5. You can add any other toppings you wish over the cheese,
e.g.: sauteed mushroom, sauteed spinach, pineapple slices, red
peppers, etc.
6. Cook for about 25 minutes.
Tip: If you want to feed vegetables to a picky eater, try hiding
them under the cheese!
 Green Beans Stew

Photo by @plantbased.arabic

INGREDIENTS
Green beans - 2 cups
Kale (can be replaced with spinach) - 4 cups
TVP (can be replaced with any cooked legume) - 1/4 cup
Onion - 1/2 chopped
Tomato - 1
Tomato paste - 1 tbsp
Avocado oil (or olive oil) - 1tbsp
Salt, black pepper and cumin - to taste
Spinach and cashew - to decorate
INSTRUCTIONS
1. In a saucepan, add the avocado oil and then the onion and
leave for a while.
2. Add the tomatoes, spices and my heat well. After three
minutes, add the tomato sauce and the green beans, cut to about
2 cm and water cups, and put them on fire for 20 minutes, stirring
every 10 minutes.
3. After removing the pot from the fire, place the lemon juice in a
mixture and mix well with the ingredients.
4. Decorated with spinach and cashews and served hot
 Spinach with Curried Basmati Rice
This is something I made in an attempt to use up some leftover
basmati rice and few random vegetables that were in the fridge. It
turned out fantastic, my kids loved the rice ad keep asking for it ever
since. Creamed spinach goes well with this rice but you can serve it
with grilled vegetables or fresh salad.

Curried Rice
INGREDIENTS
2 cups cooked brown basmati rice
1tbs oil
1 large carrot, diced
2 medium zucchini, diced
1 large onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, grated
A thumb-sized piece of ginger, grated
half red bell pepper, diced
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp curry powder
handfull coriander
salt, pepper to taste
 METHOD
Heat the oil in a saucepan. Throw in the onion and carrots. Sauté for
a few minutes. Add garlic, ginger, spices and season with salt. Sauté
until fragrant then add zucchini and bell pepper. Once the vegetables
are cooked add rice and season it with salt and pepper to taste, add
a couple of tablespoons of water if it’s too dry so the rice can soak
up all the flavors

Creamed spinach
INGREDIENTS
1tsp oil
200g button mushroom, sliced
a mixing bowl-full chopped spinach
salt, pepper to taste
1/3 cup coconut cream
1tbs Cashew Cream
METHOD
Heat the oil in a saucepan, add mushrooms and sauté for few
minutes. Add spinach and let it wilt, then season with salt and
pepper. Stir in coconut cream and cashew cream. Once you add
cashew cream it will thicken and become creamy.
Serve rice and spinach together, add some chili pepper slices and
garnish it with fresh coriander.
Makes 2 to 3 servings.
Indian Flat Bread
METHOD
1. Soak the lentils and rice together overnight, in tap or filtered
water
2, The next day, drain and rinse them
3. Blend with 1 cup of water to make a thick batter
4. You may add some salt, pepper, garlic, or any herbs and
spices.
5. Heat a non-stick pan and apply a few drops of oil
6. Cook thin pancakes for about 2 minutes each, flipping
halfway through
7. You will need to apply some more oil between each batch.
8. If you want a crispy bread, let it cook for longer on low heat
until the edges become crispy and some parts become golden
brown.
INGREDIENTS
For 6 flatbreads:
½ cup lentils, brown or orange
½ cup rice, brown or white*
*For softer bread that is easier to roll, for wraps, use white rice.
 Loaded Potato Skins
Time: 1 hour
Serves: 2
INGREDIENTS
500g potatoes
2 tbsp olive or coconut oil
salt and pepper to taste
½ portion Bolognese sauce
¼ portion melting cheese
Optional: 1 cup diced vegetables
METHOD
1. Preheat the oven on 170ºC.
2. Boil or steam the potatoes until soft.
3. Cut each potato in half
4. Carefully scoop out the inside, leaving a 3-4mm edge. You
can reserve the inside of the potatoes to make potato mash.
5. With your fingers, gently cover the potatoes with oil and
season with salt and pepper.
6. Fill each potato with Bolognese sauce, and top with a spoon
of melting cheese.
7. Return to the oven and bake for about 20-25 minutes, until
the edges are golden and crispy.
 Melting Cheese
This recipe takes even less time but gives you a completely different
result! This cheese can be used for pizza and other oven dishes or
as a dip.
INGREDIENTS
1 cup cashews, soaked for at least 3 hours
2 cup water
2 tbsp olive oil*
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp of starch (tapioca, rice or other)
Optional: 1 tbsp nutritional yeast, 1 tbsp dried herbs, 1 tsp paprika, 1
tsp cumin (if you add all of these, you will get a perfect cheese dip
for nachos!)
METHOD
1. Drain cashews and rinse well
2. Blend all ingredients together until completely mixed
3. Transfer to a frying pan
4. Cook on medium heat for 5 minutes while stirring constantly
5. You will notice that it begins to thicken… this is how you get a
cheesy texture!
Tahini Sauce
INGREDIENTS
1/4 cup tahini
1/4 warm water
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tbsp vinegar
1 lime
1 garlic
pinch of chili powder
pinch of cumin
salt to taste
Optional: replace the water with fresh orange juice.
Optional colors:
To make yellow tahini, add 1 tsp of turmeric to the previous
recipe.
To make pink tahini, replace the water in the previous recipe
with beetroot juice*
To make green tahini, you can blend it with herbs, but only if you
are making a big batch. It combines very well with fresh basil and
coriander.
*To make beetroot juice, you don’t need a juicer – you can also just
grate beetroot and use a sieve to squeeze the juice out.
METHOD
Mix all ingredients together in a bowl until smooth.
 Almond Hummus
This raw alternative is much easier to digest than traditional chickpea
hummus, you can also sprout the almonds for additional health
benefits.
INGREDIENTS
1 cup raw skinless almonds, soaked overnight
1 cup of filtered water
¼ cup olive oil
¼ cup tahini
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp salt, or more
½ tsp ground coriander seeds
2 limes, juiced
2 garlic cloves
pinch of chili powder
Want to make it pink? Replace the water with beetroot juice.
METHOD
1. Drain almonds and rinse well
2. Blend everything in a food processor or high-speed blender
until smooth
Tomato Sauce
INGREDIENTS
500g tomato
1 onion
1 clove garlic
1 tbsp fresh basil
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
METHOD
1. Blend all ingredients first
2. Cook in a large pan over medium fire for 20 minutes.
Bolognese Sauce
Time: Under 1 hour
Serves: 2
 INGREDIENTS
500g tomato
1 onion
1 carrot
1 clove garlic
1 tbsp fresh basil
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup of walnuts or almonds, soaked for 5 hours
Optional: Burger Balls
Allergic to nuts? You can replace it with cooked lentils.
 METHOD
1. Chop the vegetables and place them in the food processor
with the salt and oil
2. Blend for a minute
3. Transfer to a large pan and cook over medium fire for 20
minutes
4. Drain and rinse the nuts well
5. Blend them in a food processor until they turn into a gritty
flour
6. Add them to the sauce, along with the basil
7. Cook together for another minute, stirring well.
 Minty Tuscan Kale Quinoa Salad
Serves: 4
INGREDIENTS
1cup quinoa
a bunch of kale about 150g
200g cherry tomatoes
1 small red onion
1cup chopped parsley and mint
juice of 1/2 lemon
1tbs mint sauce such as Coleman’s (optional)
1tbs olive oil
sea salt, pepper
METHOD
1. Cook the quinoa according to the packaging instructions.
2. Wash and chop up the kale roughly and put it into a large
bowl. Squeeze lemon juice in and massage the kale to break
up the fiber slightly, making it softer and more digestible and
absorbable.
3. Slice the onion thinly and cut the tomatoes in half. Add all
the ingredients into a bowl with kale, mix well and season to
taste.
 Spicy Aubergine Stew
Serves: 4
INGREDIENTS
1tbs olive oil
1 medium onion sliced
3 garlic cloves minced
1/2 red bell pepper sliced
1 large tomato diced
1tsp paprika
1/2tsp cinnamon
1/2tsp ground cumin
1/2tsp ground coriander
1/2tsp celery seeds
1/2tsp chili flakes or fresh chili (optional)
1tsp tomato paste
1tsp sweetener of choice
1/3 x400g can chickpeas rinsed
1 medium aubergine
sea salt, pepper
handfull of parsley
METHOD
1. Heat the oil in a heavy bottom pan or a deep skillet.
2. Sauté the onions until it starts turning golden brown.
3. Add the garlic and all the spices. Sauté until fragrant.
4. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, bell pepper, sweetener and
season with salt and pepper. Cook for a few minutes.
5. Cut the aubergine into 3x3cm cubes. Add it to the sauce
along with the chickpeas.
6. Add a cup of water, or just enough to almost cover the
aubergine cubes.
7. Season with a little salt and let it cook for 20-30 minutes.
8. Once the aubergine is soft adjust the seasoning, add parsley
and turn off the heat.
9. Serve hot with some brown rice or pita bread and Hummus.
Pumpkin Spice Granola
INGREDIENTS
500g rolled oats
80g desiccated coconut
20g coconut flakes
100g pumpkin seeds
100g pecans or almonds (or both)
1/4g ground ginger
1/4tsp ground cloves
2tsp cinnamon
1/2tsp ground nutmeg
1/2tsp sea salt
150g maple syrup
80g neutral oil (refined coconut oil, sunflower...)
4tbs chia seeds
1/2cup water
100g raisins (or cranberries)
METHOD
1. Preheat the oven to 160C.
2. In a bowl soak chia seeds in 1/2 cup of water for 5 min.
3. In a separate bowl mix all the dry ingredients and spices
except raisins.
4. Add maple syrup and oil into a bowl with soaked chia
seeds. Whisk it together until well combined.
5. Add the dry mix into it and mix it well until the wet
ingredients are well incorporated. I do it with my hands, this
way I’m sure that every bite will have the same amount of spice
and sweetness.
6. Spread a loose layer on a baking tray lined with parchment
paper. You might need to use two baking trays. This way it will
take less time for baking and it will come out nice and crunchy.
7. Bake for about 30 min, take it out and stir gently. Stick it
back in the oven and bake for another 15, 20 min until all the
pieces are dry and turn golden brown. The time of baking and
even the temperature may vary. Aim for a low to moderate
temperature and keep an eye on your granola if you’re not sure
how accurate the settings of your oven are.
8. Once the granola is out of the oven, add raisins or
cranberries distributing it well through
9. Store it in an airtight jar or container for up to a month. It’s a
pretty big batch so you may want to make just half of the recipe
if its only for one person. We snack on it a lot so it’s usually
finished in no time.
 Grilled Asparagus with Whipped Carrot
Hummus

Serves 2
INGREDIENTS
small bunch asparagus (enough for two) couple of spring onions or
leeks (optional) 1tsp olive oil
salt, pepper
mixes baby greens and mustard greens
1/2 can chickpeas (drained, rinsed)
2 medium carrots
1tbs tahini
1 small clove garlic
1tbs herbed dressing
Herbed Dressing
3 half’s sun-dried tomatoes (out of oil)
1/4tsp dry oregano
1/4tsp dry basil
1/4tsp dry thyme
2tbs molasses
1tsp Dijon Mustard
1tbs olive oil
METHOD
1. First, make the dressing. Blend all the ingredients in a high-
speed blender, add a bit of water if needed. You can
make it in advance in a big batch. It keeps well in the fridge for
weeks.
2. Make hummus. It also can be made in advance. Keeps in the
fridge for about 4 days. Boil whole carrots in water, drain. Drain
and rinse half a can of chickpeas. Place chickpeas, carrot, and
tahini in a high-speed blender, season with salt and pepper and
whip until smooth and fluffy.
3. Wash and prepare all the greens for the salad. Remove the
hard ends of asparagus, cut spring onions lengthways rub both
with olive oil and season with sea salt and pepper. Grill it on a
griddle or nonstick pan until slightly browned, turning it around
once. If you feel that it needs a little more cooking you may add a
spoon of water to steam it slightly.
4. Add the dressing to the salad, mixing well. Spread a
generous amount of carrot hummus onto the side of the servings
plate. Place grilled asparagus on hummus, add a salad on the
side. Serve it with a slice of grilled sourdough.
 Quinoa Salad with Beet
Serves: 4
INGREDIENTS
1cup quinoa
1 400g can chickpeas
2 medium cucumbers (or 1/2 the English cucumber, peeled and
deseeded)
2 medium tomatoes
1 medium red onion
1 avocado
handfull of parsley
1tbs olive oil
1/2 lemon
sea salt, pepper
loosely packed cup beet
METHOD
1. Cook the quinoa according to the packaging instructions.
2. Drain and rinse chickpeas under running cold water.
3. Dice the onion finely cut the cucumbers, tomatoes, and
avocado into 1cm dice.
4. Add all the ingredients into a large bowl, drizzle olive and
season to taste with salt and pepper.
 Roasted Butternut Squash Salad with
Herbed Cream
Serves: 4-6
INGREDIENTS
Mix salad greens (mustard greens, butter lettuce, arugula, kale,
romaine....)
1 small butternut squash
4 tomatoes
2 avocado
olive oil
sea salt, pepper
toasted pumpkin seeds
4tbs Cashew Cream
handfull parsley, coriander
1tbs molasses
2tsp white wine vinegar or ACV
METHOD
1. For roasted tomatoes preheat the oven to 150C. Cut the
tomatoes into quarters. Season with sea salt and pepper, rub it
slightly with 1tsp of olive oil. Roast the tomatoes for about 2
hours.
2. For roasted butternut squash preheat the oven to 180C. Peel
the squash and cut it lengthways into 8 thick wedges. Season it
with sea salt, pepper and rub it with a tbs of olive oil. Place it on a
baking tray and roast it in the oven for 20, 30 minutes, until soft
and golden brown on the edges.
3. To make the dressing, place all of its ingredients in a high-
speed blender, add a little water, approximately 1/4cup, and
blend until smooth.
4. To serve, arrange the salad greens on the plate, add roasted
or fresh tomatoes. Top it with two butternut squash wedges and a
quarter of an avocado. Sprinkle with seeds and drizzle
generously with herbed cream.
Smoothie Bowl by
Banana And Strawberry Smoothie
2 frozen bananas + 5 strawberries + 1/4 blueberries blended
and topped with kiwi slices, coconut shavings, banana slices,
strawberry slices, and goji berries.
Bananas For Banana Smoothie
2 frozen bananas with 3 pitted dates blended topped with
banana slices, blueberries, coconut shavings, and flaxseeds.
Pink Smoothie
2 frozen bananas + 1/4 cup beetroot for the color + five pitted
dates blended... Topped with kiwi slices, flaxseeds, banana
slices, strawberry slices, Goji berries, and coconut shavings.
 Mango Quinoa Salad
Quinoa is a great source of protein and it is technically a seed, not a
grain, so it is much easier to digest. Mangoes contain many vitamins
and omega-3, so the combination with rich herbs and quinoa makes
this salad is a great nutritional boost for your entire system!

Serves 2-4
INGREDIENTS
3 cups cooked quinoa*
1 cup mango, diced (hindi or balady types)
1 green onion, chopped
2 cucumbers, diced
2 tbsp mint leaves, thinly chopped
2 tbsp basil leaves, thinly chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
1 lime
1 tsp salt
Optional: fresh coriander, chili powder
*Before cooking the quinoa, make sure you soak it for at least an
hour.
Cashew Cream
METHOD
1. Soak the nuts in water overnight or at least for a couple of
hours.
2. Drain and place it in a blender or NutriBullet. You won't
reach that silky, creamy consistency in a food processor. It
really has to be powerful.
3. Add the rest of the ingredients to the nuts and a cup of cold
water, and blend. Don't worry if it seems a little too thin, it will
thicken once you refrigerate it.
If you want a cheesy flavor you can add a teaspoon of
nutritional yeast.
5. Depending on what you're using it for, you can add more
lemon and zest, herbs, miso, soy sauce, spice.... anything,
really.
INGREDIENTS
200g of cashew nuts
water for soaking, twice the volume of nuts
salt, pepper to taste
juice of one lemon
1tsp Dijon mustard
 Farro with Blueberries
This is a super simple, filling alternative to oatmeal for breakfast.
Give it a try.
INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup Farro
2 tbsp Almond Butter
1/2 cup Blueberries
Optional: agave, coconut shavings and cinnamon
METHOD
1. Boil the farro for 15 minutes, or until soft
2. Add to a bowl and top with almond butter and blueberries
3. Feel free to add cinnamon, unsweetened coconut shavings
and 1 tsp of agave nectar
 Oatmeal with Fruits
Oatmeal is a delicious, heart-healthy and filling breakfast containing
a powerful soluble fiber Called Beta-Glucan which can help to lower
cholesterol levels.
With hundreds of options for different flavors and toppings, it’s a
staple in a healthy plant-based diet - just watch your portion sizes. A
single portion of oats should be ~60grams.
INGREDIENTS
Oats - 60grams
Water or sugar-free nut milk - 1 cup
Grapes - 1/2 handful
Seeds of your choice (pumpkin, chia) - 2 tbsp
METHOD
1. Heat oats with water or nut-milk on the stove or in microwave
2. Add toppings as desired
3. Feel free to add cinnamon or a drizzle of plant-based
sweetener such as agave
 Sincerely V's Pancakes

I’ve been making these easy pancakes for kids and I must say that
even though I’m not a pancake person I really like them. They are so
fluffy and tasty ?? and I don’t feel guilty after eating them!
 INGREDIENTS
2cups of oat flour
1cup of plant milk
2 overripe bananas
1tsp baking powder
1/2tsp baking soda
1tsp apple cider vinegar
Vanilla or cinnamon to taste
3tbs raw coconut oil melted (you can replace that with peanut
butter for oil-free option)
 METHOD
1. Mix all dry ingredients in a bowl
2. Mix bananas, vanilla, vinegar and milk in a separate bowl
3. Start adding to dry mix gradually until desired consistency -
I like them thick and fluffy.
4. Then, whisk oil in your mixture and let it sit for two minutes
before cooking them on a dry nonstick pan.
 Sincerely V's Stuffed Eggplant
Eggplant is one of my favorite vegetables (botanically fruit) So
versatile and delicious. This recipe is very simple and easy to make.
Have it with salad or some grains!

by Sincerely V
INGREDIENTS
Eggplants cut in half, 1 per person
1 cup of chickpeas, grains or lentils - cooked
Parsley, lemon, salt and pepper to garnish
1 tbsp olive oil
Your favourite spices: I love coriander, paprika, cumin and
cinnamon with chili flakes
Side salad to go with it
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Make a rub of your favorite spices, I mix 1tsp of each:
coriander, paprika, cumin, cinnamon, add salt and pepper to
taste, chilies if you like, olive oil and lemon juice.
2. Make a paste and rub the eggplant halfs.
3. Bake it until they are browned and really soft inside. The
longer you bake the tastier they become in my opinion.
Stuffed Sweet Potato
INGREDIENTS
Green beans - 2 cups
Tomato - 1
Onion - 1 Small
Tomato paste - 1 Tbsp
Spices (pepper, salt, cumin) - To taste
Kale (or other lettuce) - Unlimited for salad
Cashew nuts - 10
Lemon - 1/2
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Wash the sweet potatoes well and then make deep holes in
them using the barbecue sticks (to accelerate the leveling). Then,
wrap the potatoes in the parchment paper and bake for 45
minutes.
2. To prepare beans: In a deep saucepan, place onions and
tomatoes with a tablespoon of oil, then tomato sauce and spices.
Add the beans and half a cup of water and cover the pot for a
third of an hour until the beans are leveled.
3. Finally, arrange the dish with the washed and sliced portion,
then put the baked sweet potato, cut it from the middle and fill
with beans, cashews and the juice of half a lemon
Farro Salad
INGREDIENTS
Lettuce 2-4 handfuls
Farro 1 handful
Almonds 10 almonds
Pomegranate seeds 2 tbsp
Sprouts If available
Olive oil 1 tbsp
Lemon and saltto season
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Boil farro as per instructions on the packet (typically boil in 1
part farro 3 parts water for 30 minutes)
2. Wait for faro to cool slightly
3. Chop lettuce
4. Mix in a big bowl with seasoning
5. Top with almonds, pomegranate, and sprouts
6. Feel free to add 1 extra vegetable e.g. avocado
PS. If farro is not available near you to feel free to use lentils or
quinoa instead.
 Mediterranean Quinoa Salad
A super simple yet flavorful recipe that’s easy to customize
depending on what you’ve got available to you. If you can’t find any
locally, swap out the quinoa for brown rice or lentils.

By Sincerely V
INGREDIENTS
Quinoa
Cooked chickpeas
Red onion
Cucumber
Red and yellow bell pepper
Sun-dried tomatoes
Olives
Loads of fresh basil
METHOD
1. Cook quinoa by boiling with 1 part quinoa to 3 parts water.
2. Bring water to the boil then turn the heat down to simmer,
put the lid on the pan for 15 minutes.
3. Drain excess water before using
4. Allow quinoa to cool slightly
5. Mix all ingredients together in a big bowl with 1-2 tbsp of
extra virgin olive oil and a squeeze of lemon
 Sincerely V's Vitality Wild Rice
majority of rice consumed is white rice. Which is stripped of all the
nutrient and fiber during multiple stages of processing and have little
nutritional value? The best thing you can do to reduce empty calories
and add more nutritional density is to replace white rice with brown
rice. Or even better… wild rice.
Wild rice has an impressive nutritional profile. Its gluten-free like all
the other types of rice, but it has a lot more protein, fiber and
phytonutrients. It helps to lower cholesterol, great as a post-workout
meal, perfect for digestion, immunity and overall health. Packed with
minerals and vitamins, and because of its high antioxidant content
may protect from aging. I think thats the best part, lol.
When you combine all of the above with loads of different herbs that
are also rich in nutrients it becomes a powerhouse of vitality
INGREDIENTS
Wild rice - 1 cup
Brown rice long grain - 1 cup
Parsley, dill, mint, spring onions - 1 cup
Almonds - handful
Raisins - 1/2 handful
METHOD
1. In 1 tbsp of olive oil shallow fry chopped half an onion until
brown, scoop it into the rice.
2. In same pan toast almonds, scoop them into the rice
3. In same pan throw small handful of golden raisins with a
couple of tablespoons of water and let it cook for 2 min
4. Mix all in a big bowl, add salt and pepper and lemon. Don’t
skip the frying onion part, it’s so worth it
 Chickpea Avocado Wrap
this recipe couldn’t be easier and as always there is room for
improvisation. You can add pickles, gherkins, harissa, herbs or
spices. But this is the base and you are welcome to play with it and
make it your own recipe.
INGREDIENTS
· 1 can of chickpeas
· 1 medium avocado
· 1tsp seeded mustard
· pinch of salt and pepper
· 1/2 cup sliced spring onions or chives
· 2 whole wheat tortillas
· 1 cup mixed baby greens
METHOD
1. Drain and rinse the chickpeas under running cold water.
2. In a bowl mash it with the fork. I like to have a bit of a
texture so I would say I crush it slightly.
3. Add avocado, salt and pepper and mustard and do the
same with the fork, crush/mash it together.
4. Mix in the spring onions.
5. Divide the mixture, wrap it into two wraps with some baby
greens.
8. Toast the wraps in a panini grill or on a dry pan and enjoy.
 Loaded Lentil Soup
Enjoy this filling and delicious lentil soup, loaded with greens, seeds
and chickpeas for extra protein and phytonutrients. You can even
make a cashew cream to add on top if you like a creamier soup.
 INGREDIENTS
Lentils 1-2 cups
Onion and garlic clove 1 each
Vegetable stock or water 6 cups
Spices (turmeric and cumin) 1 tsp each
Leafy green veg 2-4 handfuls
Tinned chickpeas 1/2 cup
Seeds handful
 INSTRUCTIONS
1. Sauté onions and whole garlic clove. Add stock, spices and
lentils
2. Cook for 30 minutes
3. Add leafy greens and tinned chickpeas
4. Cook for another 15 minutes or until lentils are soft
5. 5 minutes before serving, add a handful of seeds to a pan
on low heat constantly tossing them until browned
6. Serve soup in bowls and and garnish with seeds
7. If desired, blend cashew nuts with a little water, salt, pepper
and nutritional yeast (if available) to create a cashew cream to
add on top of the soup
 Molokhia
Molokhia originated in Egypt and is packed with nutrients, rich in
antioxidants and is a good source of fibre. Winner.
You've got potassium, vitamin A, K, E, C, calcium, magnesium.... the

list goes on.

INGREDIENTS
2 x 400g frozen Molokhia leaves
1 + 1/2 onion (finely chopped)
1 bulbs garlic (crushed)
2 lemons (juice)
3 tbsp white/red vinegar
500 ml veggie stock
bunch fresh coriander
SPICES
3 tsp coriander
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp paprika
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Put the frozen block of Molokhia leaves into a bowl and cover
with boiling water and the juice and rinds of one lemon. Let it
defrost (roughly 20 mins) and then sieve to separate leaves from
liquid. You may have to move the leaves around to get most of
the liquid out. Discard liquid and keep leaves for later.
2. While waiting finely chop 1/2 onion and put in a small bowl
with the vinegar. Set aside until the end.
3. Fry the rest of the onion in 2 tbsp oil until just starting to
brown.
4. Add the spices and cook for another 2 minutes, stirring
continuously.
5. Add Molokhia leaves and stir then add the stock and stir.
Cook for 5 mins.
6. Meanwhile heat 2 tbsp oil in a new frying pan, add the garlic
and fresh coriander leaves. Fry for 5 mins or until garlic is starting
to brown then add to the Molokhia.
7. Finally, add 2 tbsp of lemon juice.
8. Taste and season with salt and/or more lemon juice.
9. Serve with rice or Freshly toasted Arabic and top with the
onion & vinegar.
 Vegan Chili
This dish is full of indulges and comfort as it warms my tummy in
cold days pulse it is easy to prepare.
INGREDIENTS
500 ml of store bought tomato puree
3 red hot chili
1 onion
10 garlic cloves
4 dates (or 3 Tbsp maple syurp)
1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 Tsp of each: salt, black paper, paprika
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Cut the onion in half then place it on a parchment paper on
baking pan with the garlic cloves (all unpeeled).
2. Add the chili paper, bake for 10 minutes in a preheated oven
at 350°F.
3. Wait to cool down before peeling the onion and the garlic
then add them to a food processor with the vinegar, dates,
tomato puree and spices.
4. After blending, transfer the mix to pot and cook it for on low
heat for 20 minutes then transfer to clean glass jar and keep in
the fridge.
5. Serve it with rice and lentils dishes.
 Loaded Dates

Ingredients:

3 Medjool dates
1tsp cinnamon almond butter
1tsp desiccated coconut or coconut flakes

Method
Slice the dates open on one side, remove the pit. Spoon the nut
butter into the date and sprinkle it with coconut.
You can melt some dark chocolate and either drizzle it over the dates
or dip the dates in chocolate and place them on a parchment paper
for few minutes until chocolate sets.
 Breakfast Strawberry Crumble Bars

Ingredients:
Base

100gm almond mill or ground almonds

80gm desiccated coconut
100gm rolled or quick oats
150gm dates
1tbs coconut oil (optional)
1tsp chia seeds
3tsp cold water
Filling
 200gm Sugar Free Strawberry Jam
Crumble
50gm oats
80gm dates
40gm desiccated coconut
 Method
1. Preheat the oven to 160C. Soak the dates in cold water for 30
min. Line a square 20cm baking pan with parchment paper. Mix
chia seeds and water in a bowl, let it stand for 10 minutes.
Drain the dates, remove the pit and place it in a food processor
together with almond mill, coconut and oats. Process it until it
turns into a crumble with all the ingredients evenly distributed.
Add coconut oil,if using, and soaked chia and puls it until mixed
well. Transfer that crumbling mixture into a prepared baking
pan and press it down evenly on the bottom of the pan. Put the
the pan in the oven for 10 min, while you’re making the crumble
layer.
2. Blitz the oats, soaked dates and coconut in the food processor
until it forms a crumble, set aside.
3. Take the bottom layer of the bar out of the oven, it should be
dry to the touch and start to get color on the edges. Spread a
layer of Strawberry Jam over it, evenly, then sprinkle it with the
crumble mixture. Press it down slightly and distribute the
crumble evenly to cover the filling. Bake it for 20-25 min until
the top turns golden brown. Let it cool completely then
refrigerate before cutting it into squares. Store them for up to a
week in the fridge and several weeks in the freezer in an
airtight container.
 Orange Chocolate Date Truffles

Ingredients

200gm dates
120gm whole almonds or almond mill
zest and juice of one big orange
2tbs raw cacao
80gm quick cooking oats
pinch of salt

Method
If you are using whole almonds grind them in a food processor and
set aside. Then process dates into a paste adding a little orange
juice if it is too dry. Add the rest of the ingredients and pulse it until
the mixture forms into a ball with a dough like consistency. If it’s too
dry add some more orange juice. Roll the dough into bite size balls
and dust them with some extra almond mill. These truffles will keep
for a very long time in an airtight container. You don’t have to
refrigerate them.
 Sugar-Free Strawberry Jam

Ingredients
1400gm fresh strawberries
500gm dates
1/4 cup coconut sugar
2tbs chia seeds (optional) Method
1. Soak the dates in hot water for about an hour or until they are
plump. Remove the skin and the pit. Chop the dates roughly,
set aside. Depending on the size of the strawberries, slice them
in half or quarters. Put the strawberries and the dates into a
stainless steel saucepan with a thick bottom (ideally) or any
pan you have. On a very low heat with the lid closed let it steam
for five minutes until strawberries start to release the juices.
Keep stirring it frequently until more and more juice is released.
 Cover it with the lid and let it cook on a low heat for about 30
min. Don’t forget to stir, otherwise it will burn on the bottom.
You can now add chia seeds if using and coconut sugar. Let it
cook uncovered for about 20 min. It should be thick and cooked
through by now.
2. If you would like to keep this jam for a few weeks then sterilize
the jars and lids in the oven for about 10 minutes at 160C.
3. Pour the jam in sterilized jars, close the lids tightly and let it
cool at room temperature before storing it in the fridge.
4. The recipe makes 7 to 8 250ml jars
 Hummus Trio

Roasted Garlic
1can of chickpeas (drained, rinsed)
1 medium head of garlic
juice of 1 lemon or lime
2tbs tahina
1/4 tsp cumin
pinch of salt and pepper
1 tbs EVOO (optional)
Cold water
Variations Roasted Pepper
1 red bell pepper
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp harissa or fresh chili
Preheat the oven to 200C. On a skewer burn the sids of a red bell
pepper over the fire of a stovetop. Then wrap it in parchment pepper
and roast it in the oven for 30 min or until soft. Take it out of the oven
and let it sit for 10 min unwrapped. After 10 min unwrap and peal the
burnt skin, it should come off easily.
Beetroot
1 medium beetroot
Boil the beetroot with the skin on until coked through. You can check
it with a skewer or a toothpick. Let it cool, peel the skin.
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180C. Wrap the head of garlic in parchment
paper and roasted in the oven for about 30 min or until garlic soft
and sweet. You should be able to squeeze it out of it’s skin easily.
Put the chickpeas, roasted garlic and all the rest of the ingredients
into the food processor and blend it adding water, a little at a time
until smooth.
2. For Roasted Pepper or Beetroot variations, just prepare those as
instructed above and add it with the main ingredients without adding
any water. Roasted pepper and beetroot provide significant amount
of moisture so you might not need any additional water, or may need
very little.
 Instant Tahini Caramel

Ingredients
100ml tahini
100ml molasses
pinch of sea salt

Method
Measure the ingredients into a bowl, mix it well with a spoon
and store it in a jar. You don’t need to refrigerate it. Keep it in
the cupboard for several weeks. (If it lasts that long)
 Easy Guacamole
Ingredients:

1 big avocado
1 small red onion
1 small tomato
1 lime (juice)
handfull coriander (cilantro)
sea salt, pepper
1/4tsp garlic powder
1/4tsp chili flakes or fresh chili (optional)
Method
Dice the onion finely, scoop the avocado flesh into a bowl with diced
onions and mash it slightly. Slice the tomato into 3 or 4 slices,
discarding the seeds and the juice. Dice up the tomato and add it to
the bowl with avocado. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix it
well with the fork. Make it as smooth or as chunky as you like.
 Pistachio Lemon Bliss Balls

Ingredients:
10 pited dates
1/4cup oats
1/4 cup ground almonds
1/4cup ground pistachios
zest and juice of one large lemon
pinch of sea salt
extra roughly ground pistachios for coating
Method:
1. Heat the oven to 180C. Roast the nuts for 7-10 minutes. Let
them cool.
2. Blitz the oats in the food processor until fine meal. Set them
aside and blitz the nuts into fine crumble. Remove the nuts and
blitz the dates into a thick paste adding a bit of water if it’s too
dry.
3. Add the nuts, oats, lemon zest, sea salt and lemon juice to the
date paste in the food processor and blend until all the
ingredients are well combined and the mixture forms into a ball.
Add a little water if it’s too dry. Transfer the mixture into a bowl
pressing it all together into a ball of date/nut dough. Roll the
dough into bite size balls, coat them with some extra ground
pistachios and refrigerate. The balls will keep for weeks in an
airtight container.
 Burnt Bell Pepper Spaghetti

This is a quick, low budget meal that tastes like it came out of a fancy Italian
restaurant. Burnt bell pepper gives it, some what, glamorous smokey flavor.

Ingredients:
250g whole wheat spaghetti
1 big red bell pepper
1tbsp olive oil
3 garlic cloves minced
2 large tomatoes diced
200g cherry tomatoes halved
1tsp tomato paste
1tsp sweetener (molasses, maple, rice, agave syrup) (optional)
1/2tsp oregano
1tsp smoked paprika
1/2tsp chili flakes (optional)
10 kalamata olives halved
handfull fresh basil leaves
sea salt, pepper
Method:
1.To make burnt pepper skewer the whole bell pepper onto a long
fork (such as carving fork), a skewer or just hold it with thongs over
the gas burner on the stove. Let the bell pepper skin char black on
all sides. Once it’s all charred, wrap it tightly in parchment paper or
foil and let it sit on the counter.
2.Boil a pot of water while you are prepping the rest on the
ingredients for the sauce. Start cooking the pasta the moment you
add burnt pepper into the sauce, it should take about the same time
to cook spaghetti aldente and finish the sauce.
3.Heat the oil in a saucepan, add garlic, oregano, paprika and sauté
until fragrant. Add the diced tomatoes and the tomato paste and let it
cook for few minutes.
4.Unwrap the pepper and carefully peal the charred skin off. It
should come off easily. Remove the stem and seeds and dice up or
slice the pepper flesh. Add it to the tomato sauce and cook for few
minutes adding a bit of water, about 1/3cup. Add the olives, cherry
tomatoes and season with a little salt and pepper. Careful with the
salt as 5.the olives will release their salt too. I like to add a bit of
sweetener just to break the acidity but it’s totally optional. Cook for a
couple of minutes until all the flavors are combined, add the basil,
chili if using and adjust the seasoning.
6.Reserving a cup of pasta water, drain the spaghetti and add it to
the sauce. Add a bit of pasta water if it’s too dry. Mix it really well
allowing the spaghetti to soak up the flavor, turn off the heat and
serve immediately.
Serves 4 ppl
 Burrito Style Wrap
Ingredients:

2 whole wheat tortillas

1tbs olive oil (optional)
2 garlic cloves minced
1 small onion diced
1/2tsp paprika
1/3tsp ground cumin
sea salt, pepper
1/2 x400 can black beans, rinsed
1/2cup cooked brown rice
1tsp tomato paste
1 medium tomato diced
1/2cup sweet corn (I use frozen)
handfull coriander leaves
1/2 lime
fresh salad greens
1/2 avocado sliced
Method:
1. In a nonstick pan sauté the onions with a tablespoon of
water or in oil if using. When it starts browning add garlic,
spices and season with a little salt and pepper. Sauté until
fragrant. Add the tomato paste and a little bit of water. Let it
cook for few minutes. Add the beans, tomato, rice and corn and
sauté until heated through and all the flavors are combined.
Adding more water and seasoning if needed along the way.
Add coriander leaves and turn off the heat.
2. Warm up the tortillas on a dry hot pan. Arrange the salad
leaves on it first so the tortillas don’t get soggy, then scoop the
filling over it and top it with avocado slices and squeeze some
lemon or lime over it. Wrap it folding the both ends of the tortilla
in. I like to wrap it in waxed paper afterwords so it holds
together and doesn’t fall apart in your hand while you’re eating
it. You can also toast it on a dry pan for a minute or so on each
side.
Serves 2 ppl
 Pita Pockets with Broad Beans and
Tahini

Ingredients

1can of broad beans (Foul)

1 medium onion
2 tomatoes
1tbs olive oil
handfull of parsley
1/4tsp cumin
sea salt, pepper
1 whole wheat pita
arugula or lettuce
tomato sliced
Red onion slices
Tahini Sauce
2tbs tahini
juice of 1 lemon (or more)
cold water
pinch of cumin (optional)
sea salt , pepper
 Method:
1. Drain and rinse the beans under running cold water. Dice the
onion and tomatoes. Heat up the oil in a skillet and sauté the
onions until slightly golden. Add cumin and sauté until fragrant.
Add the tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Sauté for
few minutes until bubbly then add the beans. I usually smash
some so it’s a mix of whole and mashed beans. Add a little
water if it’s too dry. Cook for a few minutes to let the beans
soak up the flavors. Turn of the heat, sprinkle some fresh
parsley and serve it with pita bread, tahini and some greens on
the side.
2. To make tahini ( tahina in Egypt) mix tahini with 1/4cup of water
and lemon juice. It will turn thick and lumpy once you add water. Just
keep whisking it until smooth. You may need more or less water
depending on the quality of tahini. Start with less. Once you adjust
the thickness of the sauce season it with salt and pepper and add a
pinch of cumin if using.
3. Cut the bread in half, warm it up in a toaster and fill it with beans
and greens. Drizzle some tahini over and sprinkle with some raw
onions.
 Stir-Fried Rice with Ginger Tofu

Ingredients:
1cup brown rice
1tbs olive oil
1 small onion diced
1 medium carrot diced
3 cloves garlic minced
thumb size piece of ginger minced
1/2 red bell pepper diced
1 small zucchini diced
1cup broccoli florets
3 spring onions chopped
handful coriander chopped
2tbs soy sauce
 1tsp sesame oil
sea salt, pepper
200g firm tofu
1tsp olive oil

Tofu marinade:
thumb size piece of ginger
1 clove of garlic
2tbs soy sauce
2tbs rice vinegar
1tbs molasses
1/4cup water
1tbs sriracha (optional) or chili
1tsp sesame seeds
Method:
1. To make the tofu, pat it dry pressing on it gently with paper
towels. Cut it into cubes 2x2cm. Blend all the ingredients of the
marinade in a blender and pour it over the tofu cubes. You can
marinate it for 30 minutes or overnight if you’re planning ahead.
2. Cook the rice according to the packaging instructions or
use leftover rice.
3. In a heavy bottom pan or wok heat the oil and sauté the
onions and carrots. Add garlic and ginger and sauté until
fragrant. You can add a couple of spoons of water if it’s
browning too quick. When carrots are almost cooked through
add the rest of the vegetables and season with a little bit of salt
and pepper. Sauté for 5 minutes then add cooked rice, soy
sauce and more seasoning if needed. Stir fry it for a few
minutes allowing the rice to soak up all the flavors from
vegetables. Add the herbs and a spoon of sesame oil (optional)
and turn off the heat.
4. Heat the oil on a nonstick pan and grill the tofu cubes for a
minute or so on two opposite sides. You can brown it on all
sides if you wish for more flavor. I just give my pan a good
shake and let the pieces turn around several times during
grilling. Remove from the pan and arrange the bowls.
5. Serve the rice and tofu with some shredded cabbage salad.
I used a teaspoon of the tofu marinade as a dressing for the
cabbage.
Serves 4 ppl.
 Quinoa Salad with Avocado Mint
Dressing (oil free)
Ingredients:

1cup quinoa
1 medium cucumber diced
1/2 cup quartered cherry tomatoes
1 small red onion diced
1cup loosely packed parsley and mint leaves
1/2 avocado diced

Dressing:
1/2 avocado
a habdfull mint leaves
1 garlic clove
1/4cup water
sea salt, pepper

Method:
1. Cook the quinoa according to the packaging instructions. Let it
cool.
2. To make the dressing, blend all of
 its ingredients in a blender and
season to taste.
3. In a large bowl, mix all the salad’s ingredients and cooled quinoa,
add the dressing and season to taste with salt and pepper. You can
also use coriander instead of mint if you prefer. But I like the
freshness of the mint and cucumber during hot summer.
Serves 3-4 ppl.
Banana Pudding Overnight Oats
Ingredients:
 1cup quick or old fashioned rolled oats
1cup almond milk
2-3 overripe bananas
2tbs coconut flakes
1tbs chia seeds
pinch of sea salt

To garnish
1 banana sliced
4 strawberries sliced
2tsp hemp seeds
1tbs coconut flakes

Method:
1.Blend the bananas with the cup of almond or any other plant milk. Put the oats
into a big jar, add the banana milk and the rest of the ingredients. Stir well with the
spoon making sure all the ingredients are distributed evenly and soaked.

2.You can eat it right away or keep it in the fridge overnight for creamier texture.

3.Garnish with fresh sliced bananas, strawberries and hemp or any other seeds
before serving.
 Quinoa Salad with Sprouts

This is a a quick and easy meal

that can be mage in under 30 minutes from scratch. If you don’t have
sprouts use micro greens and if you don’t have micro greens just use
more herbs. But sprouts are so rich in micro nutrients that if you
have the chance to get them, definitely add this super food into your
salads.

Ingredients:
1cup quinoa
1 400g can chickpeas
 2 medium cucumbers (or 1/2 the English cucumber, peeled and
deseeded)
2 medium tomatoes
1 medium red onion
1 avocado
handfull of parsley
1tbs olive oil
1/2 lemon
sea salt, pepper
loosely packed cup of sprouts (here I used beet)

Method:
Cook the quinoa according to the packaging instructions.
Drain and rinse chickpeas under running cold water.
Dice the onion finely cut the cucumbers, tomatoes and avocado into
1cm dice.
3. Add all the ingredients into a large bowl, drizzle olive and season
to taste with salt and pepper.
serves 4 ppl
Roasted Vegetables with Pearl Barley

Ingredients:
1cup cooked pearl barley
2 medium carrots
1 red bell pepper
1 yellow bell pepper
2 zucchini
1 medium aubergine
1 white sweet onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
 4 spears rosemary
2tbs olive oil
sea salt, pepper
Juice of 1 lemon
loosely packed cup of herbs (parsley, dill, coriander)
pine nuts to garnish

Method:1. Preheat the oven to 180C.

2. Cut the vegetables into a bite size, about 2x2cm chunks. In a
large bowl mix all the vegetables, add the oil, garlic, salt and pepper.
Break the rosemary into smaller springs and add them into the bowl.
Mix it all well with your hands, distributing the oil and seasoning
through. Transfer it onto a baking tray and spread it over in one
layer. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until slightly browned and cooked
through. Remove from the oven and transfer all into a large bowl,
discarding the rosemary springs.
3. Add the barley, herbs and the rest of the oil. Adjust the seasoning,
add a squeeze of lemon and garnish with pine nuts.
Serves 4 ppl
Grilled Zucchini and Asparagus Salad

Ingredients:
4 medium zucchini
1 big bunch (about 20 spears) of asparagus
200g cherry tomatoes
a big bunch (about 100g) arugula
a handfull basil leaves
1tbs olive oil
Dressing
 1 garlic clove
2tbs extra virgin olive oil
4tbs white balsamic vinegar
sea salt pepper

Method: 1. Trim the hard base of the asparagus. Blanch it in

plenty of water for 3 minutes, rinse under running cold water, drain
and set aside.
2. Slice the zucchini very thinly, 2-3 mm thick, lengthways, using
mandolin if you have it or carefully with the knife. Add the sliced
zucchini and blanched asparagus to a bowl, season it with a bit of
sea salt and pepper and rub the vegetables with a tablespoon of
olive oil.
3. Grill the zucchini and asparagus on a hot griddle for a couple of
minutes on both sides until slightly charred. Remove and let it cool
while you make the dressing.
4. To make the dressing, add all its ingredients into a blender and
whizz until smooth.
5. To arrange the salad, cut the tomatoes in half. Add the arugula,
tomato halves, grilled vegetables, some basil leaves into a large
bowl and drizzle it with the dressing. Toss it slightly and transfer it
into a platter or a shallow serving bowl.
Serves 4-6 ppl.
Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
Ingredients:

2cup whole wheat flour

4tbs baking powder
1/4tsp sea salt
1/2tsp cinnamon
1/4tsp ground nutmeg
1 1/2cup mashed overripe bananas

1/2cup maple syrup or molasses

1/2cup neutral vegetable oil
1tsp vanilla extract
 1/2cup chocolate chips or nuts (or both)

Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 160C. Line a large (mine is about 22x10cm) loaf pan
with baking paper.
2. In a bowl mix all the dry ingredients. Add all the wet ingredients into another
bowl, whisking it together. Add your dry ingredients into the wet and give it a
good mix, add chocolate chips or nuts and mix it through the batter evenly.
Transfer the batter into the baking tin and bake it in the over for about 40-50
min. You might need less time or more, depending on the oven, so keep an
eye on it after 30 minutes of baking.
Makes 10 slices
 Mixed Vegetable Noodles

Stir fry is easiest and quickest

meal you can prepare with absolutely any vegetables you have in
the fridge. I usually make it ones a week as a fridge cleanup, lol.
Gathering some random pieces of vegetables left from other meal
preparations. It’s like half of bell pepper here, a couple of
mushrooms there, few green beans and a quarter of a carrot will
make your meal that is delicious and nutritious. If you have
noodles - great, if not, use any long pasta like spaghetti or linguini,
 preferably whole wheat. I usually aim for equal amounts of noodles
and vegetables so it’s a 50/50 ratio.

Ingredients:
1/2 500g pack whole wheat spaghetti or noodles
1 medium carrot
handfull green beans about 150g
1 red bell pepper or a mix of different colors
150g mushrooms
2 medium zucchini
2 cloves garlic (minced)
1 thumb size piece of ginger
1tbs olive oil
3tbs soy sauce
2tsp molasses
1tsp sesame oil
sesame seeds to garnish

Method:
1.Boil the noodles or pasta according to the packaging instructions.
Rinse under running cold water, drain and set aside.

2.Cut bell pepper, carrot and zucchini into matchsticks or julienne them. Slice the
mushrooms and cut the green beans into a bite size pieces.
 3.Heat the oil in a deep frying pan or a wok. Add ginger, garlic and carrots, sauté
for a few minutes. Then add the rest of the vegetables and stir fry for 3-5 min. Add
soy sauce and molasses. I usually don’t add salt if I use soy sauce but you feel like
you have quite a bit of vegetables you may add more soy sauce or season with
salt and pepper.

4.Careful not to over cook the veggies, it’s literally takes minutes to cook them
and they should remain slightly crunchy. Add your noodles, sesame oil and adjust
seasoning if needed, sprinkle sesame seeds and serve hot.
Serves 4 ppl.
Egyptian Foul (Broad Beans) with Tahina

Foul is definitely a staple in Egypt!

Eaten for breakfast and sometimes for lunch or dinner by millions of
Egyptians every day. It is sold on every corner of practically every
street in Cairo. Made in every house almost every day. Every family
has their own favorite way of cooking it and a way of eating it.
Typically it is eaten with local (baladi) flat bread and tahini.

Ingredients
1can of broad beans (Foul)
1 medium onion
2 tomatoes
 1tbs olive oil
handfull of parsley
1/4tsp cumin
sea salt, pepper
arugula to serve (optional)
Tahini Sauce
2tbs tahini
juice of 1 lemon (or more)
cold water
pinch of cumin (optional)
sea salt , pepper
Method:
1. Drain and rinse the beans under running cold water. Dice the onion and
tomatoes. Heat up the oil in a skillet and sauté the onions until slightly
golden. Add cumin and sauté until fragrant. Add the tomatoes and season
with salt and pepper. Sauté for few minutes until bubbly then add the beans.
I usually smash some so it’s a mix of whole and mashed beans. Add a little
water if it’s too dry. Cook for few minutes to let the beans soak up the
flavors. Turn of the heat, sprinkle some fresh parsley and serve it with pita
bread, tahini and some greens on the side.
2. To make tahini ( tahina in Egypt) mix tahini with 1/4cup of water and
lemon juice . It will turn thick and lumpy once you add water. Just keep
whisking it until smooth. You may need more or less water depending on the
quality of tahini. Start with less. Once you adjust the thickness of the sauce
season it with salt and pepper and add a pinch of cumin if using.

Serves 2 ppl.
 Chickpea Flour Frittata

I use to love Frittata for breakfast. Loaded with greens and

vegetables it was one of my favorite post workout meals. This
alternative to the traditional frittata works perfectly. I use all the same
greens and herbs and add more vegetables sometimes. This is my
basic recipe and you can add your favorite vegetables to it, like bell
pepper, zucchini, onions, spinach, kale etc.

Ingredients:

1cup chickpea flour

1/4tsp paprika
1/4tsp turmeric
 sea salt, pepper
1tsp baking powder
1cup water
1cup mixed herbs (dill, parsley, coriander)
1 spring onion
1 avocado to serve
baby greens to serve
Herbed Tahini
1tbs tahini
1/3cup water
juice of one lemon
sea salt, pepper
1/4cup chopped parsley, coriander , mint
Method:
1. To make the dressing blend all its ingredients in a high speed
blender, adjust seasoning.
2. Preheat the oven to 200C
3. Whisk all the frittata ingredients (except the herbs) in a bowl until
the batter is smooth and no lumps are left. Let it stand for 5 minutes.
4. Chop the herbs. If you’re using any vegetables you can go ahead
and sauté them at this stage in a nonstick pan or a skillet with 1tbs of
olive oil.
5. Add the herbs to the batter, mixing well. Pour the batter on a
greased skillet or a nonstick pan, cover it with the lid and cook for 3
min on medium heat. Remove the lid then transfer the skillet to the
oven and bake for 4-6 minutes. Remove it from the oven as soon as
the top if it is no longer runny.
6. Transfer the frittata onto a platter, sliding it gently out of a skillet.
Serve it with some greens, avocado and a drizzle it tahini or
Hummus.
 Mushroom, Truffled Cream Toasty

This gorgeous and super

delicious toast is for those of you who love anything mushroom and
anything truffle. Perfect combo!
Ingredients: 2 slices of sourdough
1 large white onion
1tbs balsamic vinegar
250g mushroom
3tbs Cashew Cream
sea salt, pepper
1tsp truffle oil
2tbs olive oil
Method:
1. Slice the onion and mushrooms. Preheat the oven to 200C. Put
the mushrooms into a bowl, drizzle 1tbs olive oil and rub it generally,
careful not to break them. Spread the mushrooms in a single layer
on a baking tray. Bake for 5, 7 minutes.
2. Heat the rest of the oil in a heavy bottom pan. Sauté the onions
until soft and translucent. Add balsamic vinegar, season it with salt
and pepper and sauté on a very low heat until the onions are
caramelized. Careful not to fry it or brown it. You should have a
couple of tablespoons of finished product.
3. Add truffle oil to the cashew cream and add seasoning if needed.
4. Toast the bread and spread it with cashew cream, divide the
caramelized onions between the two toasts. Pile baked mushrooms
over the onions, season it with sea salt if needed, serve it warm with
some greens on the side.
Serves 2 ppl.
Spiced Lentils and Mix Vegetables

Ingredients:
1cup cooked brown lentils
1tbs olive oil
1 medium carrot, diced
1 small red onion, diced
1 clove garlic, grated
1 medium zucchini
1 small or half medium Aubergine
handfull of cauliflower florets
1 spring onion
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2tsp ground ginger
salt pepper to taste
coriander to garnish
 Method:
1.Heat the oil in a saucepan. Add onions and carrots, sauté for few
minutes. Add garlic, cinnamon and season with salt, sauté until
fragrant. Add zucchini, aubergine and cauliflower. Sauté until it starts
to get a little color. Add lentils and season with salt and pepper, add
spring onions and coriander. Stir until the lentils are heated through
and coated with all the flavors.
This should make 2 moderate servings that can be served with some
Hummus and flatbread or one generous bowl that would be great
post workout meal.
Grilled Portobello and Zucchini Tacos

Ingredients:
1 portobello mushroom
1 small zucchini
1tbs olive oil
pinch of smoked paprika
salt and pepper to taste
handfull shredded cabbage
1/2 avocado
1tbs Cashew Cream
4 spears of romaine lettuce
chili and coriander to garnish
2 small whole-wheat or corn tortillas

Method:
1. Slice the mushrooms and zucchini lengthways. Rub it with olive oil
and paprika. Grill it on a nonstick pan or a griddle. Once grilled
season it with salt and pepper.
2.To assemble the tacos. Toast tortillas over the fire of a stovetop.
Place the lettuce leave on the bottom of the taco, then grilled
zucchini and portobello mushrooms. Top it with shredded cabbage
and avocado slices, drizzle cashew cream over it, add a squeeze of
lemon if you like and garnish it with chili and coriander leaves.
 Tofu Scramble Breakfast Tacos

Ingredients:
Tofu scramble
100 firm tofu
handfull of spinach
1 spring onion
1/4 tsp turmeric
salt and pepper to taste

To serve:
2 small whole-wheat or corn tortillas
 1/2 avocado
handfull shredded cabbage
2tbs cashew cream
chili slices (optional)
coriander to garnish
Method:
1.Mash the tofu with the fork. Add it to the frying pan with turmeric,
salt and pepper. Add a tablespoon of water if it’s too dry. Then add
spinach and spring onions. Let it wilt and set aside.
2.To assemble the tacos, toast tortillas over the fire of your stovetop.
Scoop the tofu onto tortillas. Top it with shredded cabbage and
avocado slices. Drizzle cashew cream over it and garnish with
coriander and chilies. Squeeze some lemon juice onto your tacos if
you like, I prefer it with just the cashew cream. I usually have these
tacos with some greens on the side, like romaine or other lettuce.
Curried Basmati Rice with Creamed
Spinach

Curried Rice
Ingredients:
2 cups cooked brown basmati rice
1tbs oil
1 large carrot, diced
2 medium zucchini, diced
1 large onion , diced
3 cloves garlic , grated
thumb sized piece of ginger , grated
half red bell pepper , diced
 1/2 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp curry powder
handfull coriander
salt, pepper to taste

Method:
Heat the oil in a saucepan. Throw in the onion and carrots. Sauté for
few minutes. Add garlic, ginger, spices and season with salt. Sauté
until fragrant then add zucchini and bell pepper. Once the vegetables
are cooked add rice and season it with salt and pepper to taste, add
a couple of tablespoons of water if its too dry so the rice can soak up
all the flavors
 Creamed spinach
Ingredients
1tsp oil
200g button mushroom, sliced
a mixing bowl-full chopped spinach
salt, pepper to taste
1/3 cup coconut cream
1tbs Cashew Cream
Method:
1. Heat the oil in a saucepan, add mushrooms and sauté for few
minutes. Add spinach and let it wilt, then season with salt and
pepper. Stir in coconut cream and cashew cream. Once you
add cashew cream it will thicken and become creamy.
2. Serve rice and spinach together, add some chili pepper slices
and garnish it with fresh coriander.
3. Makes 2 to 3 servings.
Banana Bread Waffles
Ingredients:

1 cup oat flour

1tsp baking powder
1/4tsp baking soda
2 overripe bananas (200g)
1/2cup almond milk
pinch of sea salt
1tsp vanilla extract
3tbs coconut oil
1tsp Apple Cider Vinegar

Method:
Mix all dry ingredients in a bowl, set aside. In a blender, blend
bananas with almond milk, vanilla and salt. Whisk banana-milk
mixture into dry ingredients gradually. Add oil and ACV, mixing really
well. Let it stand for 5 minutes until you heat up your waffle iron or
nonstick pan if your making pancakes. Cook them until golden brown
and serve with more banana and strawberry slices. Spread almond
butter and drizzle syrup over it to make it extra sweet and delicious.
 Peanut Butter Noodle Salad

Ingredients
cooked or soaked rice noodles 1 pack 250gm
white cabbage
purple cabbage
red bell pepper
shredded carrot
coriander
sesame seeds or peanuts
avocado (optional)
Dressing
1tbs peanut butter
1tsp natural sweetener (agave, rice, maple syrup)
1tbs soy sauce
 1 clove garlic
piece of fresh ginger
2tbs rice vinegar or lemon juice
Sriracha or other chili sauce (optional)
1tbs sesame oil
1/4cup cold water

Method
1. Prepare the glass noodles according to the instructions on the
package. Slice or shred all the vegetables. To make the
dressing, put all the ingredients in a blender and blend until
smooth and creamy. If doing it by hand, finely grate garlic and
ginger, place that and all the rest of the ingredients into a bowl
and whisk together until smooth.
2. Add the dressing to the bowl with noodles and vegetables, mix
thoroughly, sprinkle with crushed peanuts or sesame seeds and
serve. Garnish with avocado if you wish.
Green Goddess Soba Bowl with Sesame

Dressing Ingredients

1 pack 250gm soba noodles

4 small heads of bock choi
4 handfuls of shredded white cabbage
Chinese chives
Coriander
2 avocados
sesame seeds
Dressing
2tbsp sesame paste
1 clove garlic
thumb size piece of ginger
1 1/2 tsp molasses
1tbs rice vinegar
1tbsp soy sauce
1tsp sesame oil
1tsp sriracha or fresh chili to taste
1/4cup cold water
Method
1. Boil the noodles according to the instructions on the package.
Don’t over cooked it, nothing is worse than soggy overcoooked soba.
Give it a quick rinse under running cold water, drain.
2. Steam bock choi and shred the cabbage and herbs. Slice
avocados.
3. To make the dressing, place all the ingredients in a blender and
blend it until creamy and smooth.
4. To arrange the bowls, divide everything into 4 bowls, placing
noodles in the middle and bock choi, cabbage and avocado around
it. drizzle sesame dressing and sprinkle some sesame seeds and
herbs over it. Dig in!!
 Cashew Cream Coleslaw

Ingredients
1cup shredded white cabbage
1cup shredded purple cabbage
1 medium carrot, shredded or grated
handfull of dill
Dressing
200gm cashews
3/4cup cold water
1/2tsp sea salt
1tbs agave, maple or rice syrup
1 1/2tbs white grape vinegar
1tsp Dijon mustard
1/4 garlic powder (optional)

Method
Soak the nuts in hot water for at least an hour or two, even better if
you leave them soaking overnight. Rinse them off with cold water.
Place all the ingredients in Nutribullet or similar blender and blend
until smooth and creamy. It will thicken up after refrigeration. This
cream keeps in the fridge for up to a week. I use it for other salads
and for cooking creamy sauces for pasta. Alternatively you can make
half the recipe and use it for two, three salads.
 Glorious Fluffiest Pancakes
Ingredients

2cup oat flour

1cup almond milk or any other plant milk
2 medium overripe bananas
1tsp baking powder
1/2tsp baking soda
1tsp apple cider vinegar
1tsp vanilla extract
3tbs raw coconut oil melted
pinch of sea salt

Method
Mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl, set aside. Blend bananas and
plant milk in a blender until smooth. Add this mixture to dry
ingredients gradually, whisking it until smooth and no lumps left. You
might not need to use all of the banana milk mixture, depending on
the banana size. I lake my pancakes thick and fluffy so I make the
batter quite tick too. Then add the rest of the ingredients making sure
it’s all at room temperature. Otherwise the oil will hardens and turn
into lumps in the batter. Give it a mix and let it stand for 10 minutes
before cooking. Use a nonstick pan for making the pancakes without
any additional oil. Serve them hot with fresh fruits and maple syrup
or this homemade Sugar-Free Strawberry Jam. Enjoy!!
 Asian Brown Rice Salad
Ingredients

1cup cooked brown rice

1/2cup chopped purple cabbage
1/2cup grated carrots
1/2cup diced red bell pepper
1/2cup green peas or edamame
1/2cup spring onions
handful of coriander
1tbs sesame seeds
Dressing
1tbs peanut butter
1tbs molasses
2tbs soy sauce
1 clove garlic
 thumb size piece fresh ginger
2tbsp rice vinegar
1tsp sesame oil
1tsp sriracha or fresh chili to taste
1/4cup water

Method
1. Cooke the rice or use leftover rice. Chop up all the vegetables
and place them all with the rice in a bowl. To make the
dressing, place all the ingredients in the nutribullet or other
similar blender and blend it until creamy consistency. If you’re
making it by hand, finely grate garlic and ginger, then add all
the rest of the ingredients and whisk it until creamy.
2. Use as much or as little dressing to dress the salad as you like.
Keep the leftover dressing in a jar in the fridge for up to a week.
 Chocolate Hazelnut Truffles

Ingredients
200gm dates
120gm hazelnuts
2tbs raw cacao
1tbs raw coconut oil (optional)
pinch of sea salt
80gm quick cooking oats

Method
Preheat the oven to 180C. If you are using skinless nuts then just
roast them slightly in the oven, for about 15, 20 min. With skin, roast
the hazelnuts for about 20 min or until the skins start to come off and
the nuts turn golden brown. Take it out of the oven and cover it with a
damp kitchen towel, leave it for 2 min. Rub the nuts with the towel to
peal off as much skin as possible.

Grind the hazelnuts in a food processor to a fine mill, set aside.

Pulse the dates in a food processor until it turns into a paste. You
might need to add a little bit of water if it’s too dry. Then add ground
nuts and the rest of the ingredients to the food processor and pulse it
until it’s all mixed through and the mixture forms a ball with the
dough-like consistency. Roll the “dough” into a bite size balls, dust
them with a little extra cacao and store them in an airtight jars or
container. They keep well on the counter for a few weeks.
 Brunch Party Waffles

Ingredients:
2 cups of flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 flax egg (1 tbs ground flax seeds and 3 tbs water)
1 cup almond milk or other plant milk
2 tsp lemon juice and zest (optional) or ACV (apple cider
vinegar)
3 tbs coconut oil
pinch of sea salt
3 tbs maple, rice , agave syrup or honey
vanilla extract
 Method
Sift all dry ingredients into a bowl. In another bowl mix ground flax
and water and let it stand for 5, 10 minutes. Then add almond milk,
vanilla, sweetener and lemon juice or ACV. Gradually add this
mixture to the bowl with dry ingredients. It should have a
consistency of a muffin batter, almost. Let it stand for 10 minutes
then add oil. Cook the batter in the waffle iron until golden.
Gingerbread Cake

Ingredients

450gm flour
3tsp baking powder
3tsp baking soda
1/2 salt
2 1/2 ginger
1tsp cinnamon
1/4 cloves
150gm coconut oil
 110gm sugar
170gm molasses
150gm soaked dates (150gm after soaking)
1 1/2cup almond milk
100gm candied ginger

Method
1. In a big bowl sift all the dry ingredients except sugar. Place the
rest of the ingredients in a blender and blend it until smooth.
Pour that into dry mixture mixing well. Add candied ginger, mix
again
2. Pour the batter into the well oiled bantd cake tin and bake at
160 Celsius for about 30-40 minutes. Test it with the toothpick
before taking it out of the oven. It should come out dry.
 Green Vitality Wild Rice Salad

Ingredients
1/2 cup wild rice
1/2 cup brown long grain rice
1/2 chopped spring onion
1/2 chopped flat leaf parsley
1/2 chopped coriander
1/4 chopped mind leafs
1/2 chopped dill
1 small red onion
2 tbs olive oil
1/4 cup blanched almonds
1/4 cup golden raisins
sea salt, pepper to taste
lemon and EVOO to taste
 Method
Soak the raisins in cold water. Preferably overnight or at least for
couple of hours. Cook the rice according to the packaging
instructions. Ones its cooked fluff it with the fork and let it cool in a
big mixing bowl. In the meantime chop the red onion and fry it in
olive oil until golden brown. Scoop it into the mixing bowl with rice. In
the same pan toast almonds, then raisins. Add them into the bowl
with the rest of the ingredients. Mix all the herbs and rice thoroughly,
season with sea salt and pepper, add a dash of EVOO if you like and
a generous squeeze of lemon.
 Mushroom Kale Oatmeal

Ingredients:
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 cup chopped kale
1/2 cup shallots
1 tbs olive oil
1/4 tsp turmeric
1 cup steel cut or rolled oats
water
salt, pepper
handful of parsley

Method
In a tbs of oil sauté shallots and mushrooms, add turmeric. Cook the
oats until almost done. Add shallot mushroom mixture into the oats.
Season with salt and pepper, add kale and stir constantly until kale is
cooked and the mixture represents a thick creamy porridge. Add
parsley right before serving. I sometimes like to add just a drop of
truffle oil so it really tastes like a creamy risotto in a fancy Italian
restaurant. The size of servings will depend on the type of oats your
using, but generally it makes two.