Healthy and simple vegan recipes to try this spring

WINNIPEG – Healthy lunches, dinners and desserts don’t need to be complicated if you’re trying to cut meat out of your meals.

Chef Eraj Jayawickreme from Fairmont Winnipeg joined Global’s Morning News on Wednesday to discuss simple options you can make in a few minutes at home.

“The key is preparation,” Jayawickreme said. “All of these dishes are simple to make.”

Below are a few of Jayawickreme’s favourite vegetarian recipes to try in the spring.

3:49 How to make a quinoa power bowl on the Morning News

Mediterranean Quinoa Bowls with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

Sauce ingredients:

1 16 ounce jar roasted red peppers, drained (or roast your own red peppers)

1 clove garlic

½ teaspoon salt (more to taste)

juice of one lemon

½ cup olive oil

½ cup almonds

For the Mediterranean bowl (build your own bowls based on what you like)

cooked quinoa

spinach, kale, or cucumber

feta cheese

kalamata olives

pepperoncini

thinly sliced red onion

hummus

fresh basil or parsley

olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper

crispy tofu

1. Pulse all the ingredients for the sauce in a food processor or blender until mostly smooth. The texture should be thick and textured
2. Cook the quinoa according to package directions
3. When the quinoa is done, build yourself a Mediterranean Quinoa Bowl with your favorite toppings.

Vegetarian Pho

2 large onions, peeled and halved

2 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and sliced

4 cinnamon sticks

4 star anise

4 cloves

4 cardamom pods

1 tbsp coriander seeds

4 large carrots, peeled and chopped

1 fennel bulb, quartered, stalks removed

1 tsp minced garlic

1 tbsp soy sauce

8 cups vegetable stock

3 cups dried Chinese mushrooms

Garnish ingredients:

baby bok choy, cut in half

fresh basil

fresh mint

edemame beans

salted raddish

2 cups beansprouts

Crispy firm tofu

handful of limes, quartered

rice noodles

shaved sweet onion slices

rehydrated dried mushrooms sliced

1. Heat oven to 450.’
2. Place onions and ginger slices onto a baking tray and roast in the oven for 10 minutes until the edges are starting to brown.
3. Place spices in a heavy-pot and dry roast until aromatic, stirring to prevent from burning.
4. Add vegetable stock, soya sauce, carrots, fennel, and roasted onions and ginger. Bring to a boil.
5. Add the dried mushrooms to the pot and reduce heat.
6. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Strain soup base through a fine mesh strainer to remove vegetables and debris, cool for service.

Vanilla Avocado Banana “Ice Cream” (Vegan, Dairy-Free, Gluten Free)

1 ripe avocado

2 medium banana (previously frozen in chunks)

½ cup  nut milk

¼ cup agave

1 cup ice cubes

1. Blend everything in Vita-Mix or blender until smooth.
2. Store in container in the freezer. Mixture will freeze solid in the freezer and if so, let thaw for 5 minutes on countertop until you can scoop it out.

Chia Seed Pudding

1 cup vanilla-flavoured almond milk

1 cup plain low-fat (2 percent) Greek yogurt

2 tbsp pure maple syrup

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Kosher salt

1/4 cup chia seeds

1. In a medium bowl, gently whisk the almond milk, yogurt, two tablespoons birch syrup, the vanilla and 1/8 teaspoon salt until just blended.
2. Whisk in the chia seeds and let the pudding stand for 30 minutes. Stir to mix the seeds if they have settled. Cover and refrigerate overnight.