The term ‘Vegan’ has been around since 1944 when animal rights advocate, and co-founder of The Vegan Society, Donald Watson, realised that the term Vegetarian left out those who also abstained from consuming dairy, which he also found to be unethical for someone who wanted to adopt a diet that did not exploit animals.
As of 1951, The Vegan Society officially defined Veganism as “living without exploiting animals”, and further excluded eggs, honey, and animal derived dairy products from a vegan diet.
Research shows that a well-balanced vegan diet can have health benefits such as; lowering cholesterol levels, assisting with weight loss, and lowering your risk of getting certain types of cancer.
Here’s a short stack of our five most drool worthy vegan recipes from 2021 to get you excited about your Vegan Diet options.
Overnight Oats with Banana, Pineapple, and Almond
Let’s start with breakfast! Arguably the most important meal of the day. Traditionally, oats or porridge would be prepared with regular cows milk, so turning this breakfast classic vegan is easily done by substituting your regular milk with coconut milk. For those who would ordinarily use honey to sweeten their meals, our Melrose Organic Rice Syrup is a sweet and ethical trade off, with perhaps an even better flavour offering than your original choice of sweetener.
Berry, Beet and Almond Smoothie
When we think of smoothies, I think most of us would generally use milk as the liquid of choice to help blend all our smoothie ingredients together. Another easy transition from ordinary to vegan, would be substituting your regular cows milk, for a non dairy option like almond. Almond milk generally gives a nice sweet and nutty flavour to whatever it’s added to. In this recipe, the almond milk is building on the already complex and tasty flavour profile, combining with the tartness of the berries, the sweetness of the bananas and dates, and the earthiness of the beetroot.
Vegan “Red Velvet” Zucchini Brownies
How doesn’t love a brownie?
The gooey chocolatey goodness that can make you forget all your problems with your first bite. Melrose Health has supercharged the humble brownie and packed it with healthy ingredients. Not only are they vegan, we have added zucchini for that perfect gooey texture. Our brownies are made with the Melrose Organic Full Flavoured Coconut Oil because only the best organic ingredients will do. These brownies are also jam packed with antioxidants courtesy of our Essential Reds powder giving them that red velvet goodness. Your non vegan friends won't’ even notice they are vegan, in fact we think they will like them even better! Trust us, you won’t regret giving these a go!
Summer Tomato and Vegan Ricotta Tart
Who doesn’t love a freshly made tart? Savoury or sweet, you’ve got our vote. This tart is our take on a Australian summer favourite, made suitable for those on a vegan diet. Now, most traditional pastries require the use of eggs and butter. But we’ve perfected the recipe for our own Coconut Oil Pastry with 5 simple ingredients: plain flour, Melrose Full Flavoured or Flavour Free Coconut Oil, Melrose Organic Essential Greens, one teaspoon of salt, and two tablespoons of ice cold water. We also swap out the usual ricotta with semi firm tofu (Chinese tofu in brine) and two tablespoons of nutritional yeast for the delicious fluffy tart filling. Add some garlic powder, onion powder, lemon zest, salt flakes, and cracked pepper to flavour. Then topped with fresh tomatoes and some basil, and we’ve got summer on a plate.
Nut Butter Nice-Cream
And to round out the end of the day; some home made ice cream (without the guilt!).
Our Nice-Cream is both vegan and health, making your after dinner sweets cravings all the more appetising, knowing that this dish is both dairy and egg free, and low in fat. It’s as simple as blending all the ingredients together and serving immediately with cacao nibs, shredded coconut, or sliced almonds sprinkled on top. How easy is that? The coconut milk replacing your usual milk or cream adds that decadent coconut flavour to the nice-cream, the frozen bananas help solidify the dish, and the Melrose Macadamia Cashew Spread, cinnamon, and your choice of topping brings spice and added texture.
Going vegan definitely doesn’t mean going without, in our eyes. There are loads of food replacements out there that are flavoursome, have amazing texture, and similarly replicate those ingredients you may have grown up using in your cooking. With our vegan Melrose Health food products, we can reimagine some old favourites, and create some new vibrant vegan recipes, supporting your health conscious and animal conscious vegan diet.
