Tag: vegan protein

Guacamole with Avocado, Coriander, Moringa & Chilli

29666672_UnknownAs promised, here is the recipe I mentioned in my post Avocado: The Little Miracle Worker.  I eat guacamole often, with different herbs and spices but had never had it with moringa powder.

I use moringa powder regularly, mostly in smoothies, but recently received an order of Aduna Mango and Cashew Bars accompanied by a recipe for guacamole which included moringa powder. I gave it a go and loved it. It takes no time at all. This is slightly adapted, I used chilli powder instead of fresh chilli – bit of a wimp as far as chillies are concerned, I’m afraid! – and lemon juice instead of lime.

Moringa Powder is currently considered a ‘superfood’: it has more protein than hemp protein powder, is rich in calcium, iron and potassium and contains many more vitamins and minerals. It is also organic and gluten-free. I use the Aduna brand because they support small businesses in Africa, often run by women.

This guacamole tastes good and does you good: containing protein, healthy fats, vitamin C & E, minerals, B vitamins, lycopene, antioxidants and dietary fibre. It provides slow-releasing energy and is very filling.

Ingredients

(Organic where possible, all measurements approximate).

1 Ripe Avocado

1 Large Spring Onion, chopped

Chopped Tomato

Small handful of Coriander, chopped

Good squeeze of Lemon Juice (or Lime)

1/4 Tsp Moringa Powder

Chilli or Chilli Powder to taste

Black Pepper & Pink Himalayan Salt to taste

*

Mash the avocado roughly with a fork

Mix in all the other ingredients

Taste and adjust seasoning.

Serve with salad, crudités, in a wrap, on bread or crackers.

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Copyright: Chris McGowan

Vegan Mixed Bean Salad While the Kitchen’s Under Wraps!

29134960_UnknownLast week, the kitchen was covered in dust sheets and all the appliances – juicers, blenders, pans, etc. – were scattered about in other rooms. HB had been painting the ceiling, walls and doors all day, the windows were closed because the Men in Orange were laying smelly tarmac on the drive and it was quite a hot sticky day too, so a quick, cool salad was in order for dinner at the end of a long day.

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The bottom layer of this nutritionally power-packed salald bowl is a combination of leaves: romaine, rocket, watercress and spinach – did you know romaine and rocket contain protein? Watercress and spinach are a good source of iron and Vitamin C, too. Vitamin C aids the absorption of iron in the body.

Layered over the leaves are chopped celery and cucumber, then celery leaves, chopped spring onion (a prebiotic for gut health), more protein and B vitamins in homegrown mung bean sprouts*, and topped off with basil leaves, which we grow on our kitchen windowsill. Basil is anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, anti-bacterial and rich in anti-oxidants.

Alongside, we have half a can of mixed beans, rinsed well – another source of protein and B vitamins, as well as dietary fibre.

The whole salad is then dressed with tamari and olive oil dressing, and sprinkled with raw hemp seeds* and plenty of black pepper. Hemp seeds are high in protein and a good source of healthy omega oils.

HB had a large baked potato with his!

*See also Shelled Hemp Seeds: Superfood or Psychogenic?!

Sprouting for Health, Energy and the Environment!

Crunchy & Satisfying Black Bean, Red Grape & Hemp Seed Salad

Mixed Beans with Avocado, Pomegranate & Wilted Spinach

Rocket (Arugula) Salad with Sweetcorn, Walnut Slaw, Crisp Red Apple & Lemon Tahini Dressing

Oh-So-Chocolatey Hemp Seed Coins

Copyright: Chris McGowan

Vegan Gluten-Free Nut-Free Bread Mk IV – the best yet!

28866432_UnknownI know I keep saying this, but each one keeps getting better in terms of how much it rises and slices. The taste and texture also vary a little, too, because of the different combinations of flour used in each new version.*

The amount of tiger nut flour is greatly reduced here compared with previous ones – it can be a bit gritty for some – and we substituted it with the finer-milled tiger nut powder, which seemed to work well. We may increase the proportion next time.

Mk IV turned out very smooth and close-textured, very easy to slice. I was delighted with how much it had risen – always a problem with gluten-free bread, but can’t really put my finger on why it did so well! The amount of golden linseeds was almost doubled from previous recipes – when they are pre-heated in the oven, they become sticky and help form a gel when mixed with the yeast and water – and the coconut yogurt – which is a bit too thick – was replaced with live soya yogurt.

This loaf has plenty of healthy nutrients without the additives etc. of commercial gluten-free bread which often resembles a chemical experiment and tastes like cardboard! Tiger nuts are tubers (not nuts) and contain vitamins, minerals, protein and both pre- and probiotics for a healthy gut. Chickpea or gram/besan flour, is a good source of iron, magnesium, protein, B6 and fibre. The loaf has healthy fats from the olive oil and the seeds, while the seeds also give it a little nutty bite.

Here’s the latest list of ingredients – organic where possible, all vegan and gluten-free, measurements very approximate!

45g golden linseeds (pre-grinding a little helps)
Approx. 475mls warm water
1 sachet fast-action yeast (about 2½ tsp)
100ml live plain soya yoghurt

450g g/f flour made up of:
100g cornflour, 100g maize flour, 100g self-raising g/f flour, 100g chickpea (gram) flour, 50g fine tiger nut powder**

1 tsp salt
11/2 tsps coconut palm sugar*** (ordinary sugar will work of course, but reduce to 1 tsp)
50g psyllium husk powder
50ml olive oil
extra olive oil and cornflour, to sprinkle on top

Method

Heat oven to 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4

Pre-heat the linseeds on a baking tray for about 10 minutes to make them split slightly and become sticky – ours are ground up slightly beforehand to enhance the process. Try not to burn them!

Turn off the oven.

Mix together the water and yeast, then stir in the yogurt and seeds. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl sift together the flours, then add the salt, sugar and psyllium husk powder.

Add yeast mixture and olive oil and mix well.

The mixture will quickly turn into a sticky dough. When it’s ready, knead it for a few seconds, then place in a bowl, cover and leave for 30 minutes. We covered it with a damp tea towel and put it in the still-warm oven.

When it’s risen, either make the dough into a fat sausage shape and place on a lined baking tray or shape to fit in a lightly-oiled loaf tin – we found the first time we put it on a tray it spread too much and produced very narrow slices, so we use a loaf tin now.

Lightly brush with olive oil, cover and leave for 30 minutes.

Heat the oven to 240C/465F/Gas 9, make shallow diagonal cuts across the top of the dough, sprinkle with a little cornflour and bake for about 40 minutes, or until golden-brown and crusty on the outside. Leave to cool on a wire rack.

When completely cold, slice and enjoy! We had some while it was fresh, left some for next day and sliced the rest up to go in the freezer.

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The sandwich in the top photo comprises of Natex low salt yeast extract on two slices, sliced avocado with a little lemon juice and black pepper, peppery baby lettuce leaves, spring onion and thinly sliced cucumber, topped with homegrown alfalfa seeds.**** It was lush!

*(For my other recipes and the original Dan Lepard recipe on which they are based, see Vegan Gluten-Free Tiger Nut Bread Mark ll

Vegan Gluten-Free Tiger Nut Loaf/Bread Mk III

Dan Lepard

** Tiger nut flour and powder available from The Tiger Nut Company

***Coconut Palm Sugar available from The Raw Chocolate Company

****See Sprouting for Health, Energy and the Environment! for how to grow your own beansprouts.

Copyright: Chris McGowan

Kumquat & Cacao Protein Smoothie

28596160_UnknownNo, that’s not a slice of tomato on top, it’s a kumquat!

Kumquats have a two-tone flavour: sweet peel, tart juice and are so full of a variety of beneficial nutrients including essential oils.

We had some in our Abel & Cole veg box recently and have used them in salad, a juice and today a smoothie.

This delicately chocolate-orange flavoured smoothie is so yummy and is vegan, gluten-free, nutfree, organic and dairy-free.

It contains protein, potassium, magnesium, iron, B vitamins, Vitamin A and C, calcium, omega oils, probiotics and fibre. Cacao is nutrient-heavy, including iron and anti-oxidants, and is reputed to be mood-enhancing. What more could you ask for?

(You eat the whole fruit, but be sure to remove the pips first and give the skin a good rinse),

Ingredients

2 Kumquats

1 Small Ripe Banana

1 Heaped Tsp Raw Cacao Powder*

1 Heaped Tbsp Chia Seeds*

1 Heaped Tbsp Hemp Seeds*

2 Tbsps CoYo Live Plain Coconut Yogurt

1 Heaped Tbsp Buckwheat Flakes

Unsweetened Coconut Water, according to how thick or thin you like your smoothie

Deseed and rinse the kumquats, add all the ingredients to a high-speed blender and blend on fast for approximately 40 seconds.

(We used the Retro Superblend, see here for my review).

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* The Raw Chocolate Company

See also Three Cheers for Chias! What Are Chia Seeds & How Do I Use Them? Recipes included

Shelled Hemp Seeds: Superfood or Psychogenic?!

Copyright: Chris McGowan

Where Do I Get My Protein on a Vegan Diet?

Here:

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And here:

(I would add Nutritional Yeast, Kale, Sunflower seeds, Romaine Lettuce, Sprouted Seeds & Beans, Mushrooms and Corn to that last)

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The truth is, it is extremely difficult in Western society to be deficient in protein.

You don’t even need thick steaks if you’re a bodybuilder or any other kind of meat or dairy product if you’re a top-notch athlete: there are many top bodybuilders, ironmen, ultra-marathon runners and other sports people who are vegans.

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Several members of the US Rio Olympic team are on a plantbased diet. Champion tennis players Serena and Venus Williams are on plantbased diets and Novak Djokovic recently opened his own vegan restaurant. Arnold Schwarzanegger is advocating transitioning to a plantbased diet! Former President Bill Clinton changed to a vegan diet when he had bypass surgery. Carl Lewis, champion athlete, also competed on a vegan diet.

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Almost all wholefoods contain some protein to varying amounts, so all you need to do is eat a wide variety of *real* foods, as opposed to processed, chemical-laden sugary ‘foods’ that call themselves vegan and you will get all the quality protein and nutrients you need.

Excessive protein intake can overload the kidneys, make them work harder and cause dehydration.

Research from Australia and the US shows that a varied vegan diet is healthy for both children and adults. Even the the latest US eating guidelines advise more plantbased foods.

I had a meat-eating pregnancy and a vegetarian pregnancy, guess which was healthiest and easiest? The vegetarian one by far. My children were brought up vegetarian, one has always been a keen sports enthusiast and an on-again-off-again vegan, athlete, orienteer, climber and cyclist, while the other has done gymnastics, horse-riding, running, become a lifeguard and gym enthusiast, but nowadays mostly enjoys yoga, swimming and cycling.

One family member has to have a low protein diet for medical reasons and has been plantbased all his life, he’s an outdoor activities leader and specialises in canoeing and climbing.

The babies and toddlers in our family are initially brought up vegan, until they want to choose foods for themselves. Even the ones who choose to occasionally include meat still have a mostly vegetable and fruit content to their diet and all are active, with the older ones being keen cyclists, swimmers, basketball players and Kung fu exponents!

Vegan food is not all brown and boring!* (see below for links to recipes).

It’s mostly about educating yourself and cooking from scratch as much as possible, but you can still find quality vegan convenience food and snacks. And you don’t have to spend hours creating special meals. That certainly wouldn’t work in our household! There are recipes in the blog menu for both savoury, sweet and raw vegan meals as well as some healthy snacks. Instagram is also a great place to find vegan accounts and websites for advice and recipes.

Resources: Vegan Family TV a YouTube channel run by a couple with two young children, it’s fun and informative about their everday lives as vegans. They regulalry try out new products and the girls do their own broadcasts.

The Vegan Society has an article which includes protein requirements and protein sources.

PS Here is a link to a short, informative article about the current trend for protein shakes, protein-added products, the possible overdosing on protein and its feared health repercussions in 10-15 years’ time, especially on teenage boys and men:

Are You Overdosing On Protein?

*See 3 Vegan Meals with Chilli, Quinoa, Tacos & Steamed Veg (but no Quorn!)

Rocket (Arugula) Salad with Sweetcorn, Walnut Slaw, Crisp Red Apple & Lemon Tahini Dressing

Berry Chia Breakfast Jar

Warm Apricot & Ginger Rice Salad with Tamari-Splashed Garlic Mushrooms

Copyright: Chris McGowan