5 Mins Read
We know many of you are looking to go Green Monday more days than one yet many of our readers tell us that they lack time and know-how when it comes to cooking vegan. There are plenty of recipes online but most are not adapted to Hong Kong kitchens or supermarkets. We reached out to vegan recipe blogger Miss Redhead and asked her to create 5 easy vegan workday dinners created especially for Hong Kongers. Check them out below.
5 Fool-Proof Vegan Dinners by Miss Redhead
If you’ve ever felt like cooking from scratch is a chore being vegan, here are five tried and true gems that will make it effortless. You’ll be surprised that most ingredients already exist in your pantry. For most of the recipes, you can feel free to substitute your favourite veggies and spices to truly make the dish your own.
Overall Directions: NOT MADE FOR RULES – I eyeball everything, and you should too. I don’t believe in precise measurements. Taste test everything! If it’s bland add a little more seasoning until you love it 🙂 I have included variations for every recipe so get creative! These recipes are meant to be a starting point.
Serving sizes are for 1-2 persons. Feel free to multiply as needed.
GREEN SMASH
This recipe is a favourite and on heavy rotation at my house. I always keep cooked quinoa on hand, I make it over the weekend and it lasts all week long.
Ingredients
- 1 small head of broccoli, in florets
- half block of firm tofu
- 1 cup of cooked quinoa
- 1 okra, sliced
- extra virgin olive oil, citrus or cider vinegar, nut milk of choice
- nutritional yeast (aka nooch)
- Variations: cauliflower, chickpeas
- Other toppings: spring onion, radish
Directions
Blanch broccoli florets, set aside. In the same pan, stir-fry tofu cubes with a dash of olive oil, citrus vinegar, and a dash of nut milk, until golden. Simmer and add nooch to your liking, then toss in cooked quinoa and broccoli. Stir fry until glossy. Top with okra pieces. Oh hello yum.
RUBY BAGEL
There’s smashed avo toast, sure, but have you tried beet tho? And that extra peppery kick from the rocket? You’re welcome.
Ingredients
- 1 whole bagel, sliced in half
- 1 small-sized cooked beetroot, peeled
- handful rocket leaves
- extra virgin olive oil, sea salt, black pepper, chia seeds
- Variations: pumpkin mash, onion mash
- Other toppings: sesame seeds, nutritional yeast
Directions
Mash cooked beetroot, season with sea salt, black pepper, and a light drizzle of olive oil and spread that red magic liberally on a toasted bagel, then top with fresh rocket leaves and chia seeds.
CURRY REDUX
CURRY REDUXUp your quinoa game by mixing it with wild rice. I like this texture a lot and it makes both the rice and quinoa more interesting. This is my favourite makeshift curry.
Ingredients
- 1 cup of quinoa with wild rice
- half head of cauliflower, in florets
- your curry paste of choice
- coconut milk
- 1 clove of garlic
- handful of cherry tomatoes
- wedge of lime
- fresh cilantro
- bean sprouts
- Variations: firm tofu, chickpeas, broccoli florets
- Other toppings: Thai basil leaves, alfafa sprouts
Directions
In pot, stir-fry cauliflower florets with a dash of olive oil, turmeric, and a clove of garlic. Add in curry paste of your choice and coconut milk according to package instructions. Throw in cherry tomatoes when simmering. Serve with wedge of lime, fresh cilantro and bean sprouts.
A KALE OF TWO MUSHROOMS
This recipe is fun and delicious- I make this ALL the time. It’s the easiest thing in the world to make.
Ingredients
- 1 oz dried porcini mushrooms
- 2 oz fresh mushrooms of choice
- handful cherry tomatoes
- handful curly kale leaves
- 1 clove garlic
- herbes de Provence
- whisky
- nut milk of choice
- nutritional yeast (aka nooch)
- Variations: tofu nuggets, vegan chicken strips
- Other toppings: fresh mint
Directions
While your water for pasta is boiling, re-hydrate the dried porcini in hot water for about 15 minutes then discard the soaking water except for 1/4 cup. Meanwhile slice fresh brown mushrooms and cherry tomatoes, and tear up some kale leaves into bite-sized pieces. As your pasta cooks, sweat the porcini with the brown mushrooms and tomatoes, as well as the garlic, herbes de Provence, a dash of whisky (CRUCIAL INGREDIENT!) and 1/2 cup of nut milk. Shake a snowfall of nooch in there. Add in the saved porcini water. Turn the heat off after it starts to bubble. Pasta should be al dente. Toss into sauce, and then add the kale leaves. You’re staring at perfection.
HEARTY SOUL BOWL
This is the easiest one out of all five recipes. You basically make a lot of each ingredient and go through it slowly throughout the week.
Ingredients
- 1 cup of cooked mixed rice with quinoa
- 1 small head of broccoli florets
- handful Brussel sprouts
- med-sized pumpkin, cut into chunks
- whole head of garlic, top sliced off
- extra virgin olive oil, sea salt and black pepper
- nut milk of choice
- nutritional yeast (optional)
- Variations: sweet potato, beetroot
- Other toppings: sesame seeds, nori seasoning, hemp seeds
Directions
Blanch broccoli florets and Brussel sprouts for 1 minute. Drizzle sesame oil and tamari, mix well. Set aside. Meanwhile, drizzle olive oil and sea salt and black pepper on whole head of garlic and pumpkin chunks on 180 C for 35 minutes. Pumpkin should turn be almost mushy, like a coarse puree. I like to add in nut milk and nooch to make it creamy, but you can eat it as is. Serve with roasted garlic cloves, broccoli florets and Brussel sprouts on top of mixed rice with quinoa. Thank me on Instagram.
About The Author: Miss Redhead is a vegan of two years- she quit cows five years ago and hasn’t looked back. She puts whisky in everything and only drinks coffee Monday through Friday, and on weekends. You can follow her vegan & whisky adventures on Instagram: @dramselinthered.
All photos courtesy of Miss Redhead.
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