Home-cooked Vegan Meals

As we celebrate how far the movement of a vegan lifestyle has come, we reflect on our successes, and highlight how accessible and beneficial a vegan lifestyle is. At asa, we believe veganism is a choice we have to make to see a better tomorrow. Being vegan means to be compassionate towards animals and commit to sustainability, wellness and to care for the community and the environment. 

In 2021, more of us are embracing this lifestyle at home, not just as meals in a vegan cafe or restaurant. Even if not every meal is plant-based, it is definitely one that is free from dairy products. Allowing a flexible approach is the way we can truly tailor our meals to be vegan and hop on to this lifestyle.

Food and emotions: Winning a vegan diet

The health of our planet is in our hands, our mindful and purposeful choices to help the environment. This World Vegan Day, we learn from Roshni Sanghvi, a plant- based holistic nutritionist and food lover. 

While working with her clients, she always notices how humans associate food with emotions. Think about it, you eat when you are happy, you reach out for comfort food when you are sad, all festivals are centered around exclusive ‘dishes’ and when we want to express our love to others, we give them gifts of delicious goodies. When we want someone to make healthy nutritional changes, she suggests incorporating tasty food as part of our plan. 

 With being on a Vegan diet, tasty and healthy broadly go hand in hand. The taste of our food depends on the bold use of spices and herbs by the chef. Herbs and spices come from plants! Besides taste, plants also provide us with vitamins, think of colourful vegetables and fruits, nutrients and flavonoids!

This is a time- saving, nutrition packed and flavourful dish by Roshni, perfect for lazy winter nights. It is also very versatile, allowing you to use seasonal vegetables and herbs of your choice. The pasta sauce stores very well in the fridge for a few days, making this dish even easier to assemble on busy days. 

 So let’s dive in!

Ingredients:

Pasta sauce:

• 1 cup coconut yogurt
• 1 tbsp tahini
• 1 tbsp nutritional yeast (optional)
• Pinch of paprika and salt
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• Handful of dill leaves
• 4 tbsp aquafaba (or water)

Blend everything for a creamy sauce.

For the salad:

• 1 cup al Dente pasta 
• 1 cup cooked sweet corn
• 1/2 cup chopped Lettuce
• 10- 12 sliced olives
• 1/2 cup chopped baby potato
• 1/2 cup cooked chickpeas

Method:

Mix everything! This dish is best enjoyed cold.

Chef’s Tip:

This dish is an easy one pot fix for a wholesome meal. Might I also suggest exploring lentil, quinoa and buckwheat based pasta for some added proteins. - Roshni Sanghvi

Feel free to share this recipe with friends and family who might enjoy it. Do also tag @roshnisanghvi on social media when you try this recipe and share your pictures!