You know the old saying – “new year, new me”… while it might be a bit trite and no doubt a lot of your resolutions will fall by the wayside before the end of the year, trying to drive positive lifestyle changes at the start of a new year can be a lot of fun.
Those of you doing Dry January, we salute you – but if you’re looking for a different kind of challenge, what about trying out Veganuary instead… or as well?
If you love nothing more than a Spanish food hamper full of all the most delicious treats, don’t panic – you can easily enjoy your favourite cuisine without meat or dairy, sure to be music to your ears. So with that in mind, here are a couple of vegan Spanish recipes to try your hand at over the next couple of weeks. Have fun!
This recipe can be whipped up in just 20 minutes so perfect for a mid-week meal if that’s what you’re looking for. It’s basically a Spanish bean stew from a region in the north of Spain – and is traditionally not remotely vegan at all.
This version makes excellent use of white beans (or cannellini beans, if you prefer), sweet paprika, ground turmeric, bay leaves, onion and garlic for a hearty stew that will see you right through winter in one healthy piece.
Paella is one of the most well-known of all Spanish recipes and, as you probably already know, the original version contains an awful lot of meat and seafood. Instead of all the animal products, chuck all sorts of veggies in there, like capers, artichoke hearts, onion, pepper, mushrooms and whatever your heart desires, seasoning with the likes of saffron, cayenne pepper and smoked paprika.
Fancy going off-piste with your ingredients a little bit? This watermelon soup could well be just what you’ve been looking for. You’ll need watermelon (of course!), almonds, red wine vinegar, white bread, tomatoes, garlic, cumin and paprika to whip this little recipe up.
If you’re keen to start eating a vegan breakfast each morning, what about this black bean breakfast burrito with plantains and mango salsa? You can prep everything in advance and do some bulk cooking, so you’ve got the ingredients ready for a few days… the perfect way to start your morning off on the right foot!
There are all sorts of reasons that people choose to go vegan, whether it’s to help the environment, the animals or just to protect your own health. According to the Veganuary charity, people eat over 7,000 animals in their lifetime so you can make a huge difference if you do decide to give up meat and dairy, even if it is just for one month.