Over the recent months, maybe longer, more and more people have been switching to a plant-based diet. But what exactly does this mean?
Veganism has been around for many years, and saw a boost in popularity after the release of a film called 'Forks over Knives', a 2011 documentary where researchers explore the possibility that people changing their diets from animal-based to plant-based can help eliminate or control diseases like cancer and diabetes.
While eating a 100% vegan diet can be difficult to maintain, incorporating more plant-based dishes into our weekly menu can also have positive effects on our health. Shifting your meal focus from the protein source to the plant source and then add your protein afterwards, helps to create variety, and also increase the amount of fibre and nutrient filled foods you and your family will consume.
Yesterday, lunch in the shed was a delicious, totally plant based Caesar salad. It was also gluten free (and dairy free naturally), and not too heavy when there is work to get on with. If you wish to cook along here's the recipe.
A plant based Caesar Salad
Cos lettuce: leaves separated, washed and dried. Pop in the fridge to crisp up while we get on with the rest.
Sweet Potato: Cut into chunks, then roll in oil, salt and pepper. Pop on baking tray and cook in a hot oven until edges crisp. Approx 15mins.
Tamari Mushroms: Slice up whatever mushroom you have and sprinkle a small amount of tamari over the slices. Sesame seeds would go a treat over these too. Add to baking pan and cook until dry and shrivelled.
Faux-Parmesan: Toast a cup of walnuts until fragrant, being careful not to burn. Add 3 tbsp nutritional yeast and 3/4 tsp salt flakes. Blitz until a fine crumb forms. Thanks @DaisyPlantKitchen for the inspiration.
Vegan Caesar Dressing: This is from Cookidoo.com.au.
Blitz all of these ingredients in a blender until smooth. In a Thermomix® this takes seconds to create a silky smooth texture. You may need to blitz for longer if you have another appliance.
- 60g extra virgin olive oil
- 30g lemon juice
- 20g filtered water
- 100g canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 20g miso paste
- 15g pickled capers, rinsed and drained
- 1 garlic clove
- salt & ground black pepper
To serve: Lay the crisp cos leaves on a platter. Spread the sweet potato and mushroom pieces over the top. Drizzle with sauce and sprinkle generously with your faux parmesan.
Creating healthy meals at home is simple. If you are interested in a Cooking Experience with the Farmer's Wife head over to this page to choose from the upcoming events.
Comments (2)
Hi Dee
Thank you so much for your lovely comment :)
I currently host Cooking Experience sessions in the new shed kitchen and it’s a great opportunity to come and see the farm, talk to myself and Hapi The Farmer, learn about our produce and how to turn them into a really tasty meal. Plus you also get fed!
You can check out our upcoming sessions by clicking on Cooking Experience > Event Tickets.
Or simply search for Cooking Experience.
We hope to see you at the farm soon :)
From The Farmer’s Wife
Amazing share and really inspiring what you do at your farm…. are you open for a visit and share some wisdom on your farming experience.. would love to make a visit to your farm with my family,