SIMPLE, WHOLE-FOOD VEGAN RECIPES FOR EVERYONE
You don’t have to be vegan to try our recipes, everybody’s welcome! All recipes are easy to make, require no special gadgets or expensive cookware and are oil-free (even our delicious chips!) A low-fat whole-food plant diet is not just the kindest to animals and the environment, it is also the healthiest, quickest way to achieve and maintain your desired weight (please click here for our list of resources and science references). We recommend advance meal prep/batch cooking so you always have something healthy ready to eat.
Dr Barbara Rolls, American professor of nutritional sciences, discovered that people tend to eat similar amounts of food in the course of a day. So by including more vegetables, fruit, potatoes and other whole plant foods into your diet, you can eat the same amount of food, feel just as full but get fewer calories. There is no need to count calories, but it’s helpful to familiarise yourself with the concept of calories density for the various food groups.
Far from being restrictive, a low-fat, whole-food vegan lifestyle allows you to eat more food, so you will not feel hungry and will gradually stop craving unhealthy meals and snacks. But avoid keeping keep junk, overly processed or trigger foods in your house/car/workplace – eating them “in moderation” is something most people simply can’t do. For more advice on this topic and overeating read The Pleasure Trap by Dr Doug Lisle and Dr Alan Goldhamer and watch the excellent video below.
RECIPES
Cottontails’ Cauliflower Rice
- 1 Large cauliflower, riced with a box-grater or food processor (keep the leaves whole)
- 2 medium sliced red or other onions
- 10 whole garlic cloves (or as many as you like)
- 1 tin of peeled plum tomatoes
- Tomato paste to taste
- 2 large sprigs of fresh basil or any other fresh/dried herb you like
- 1 veggie stock cube
Put all ingredients in a large (non-stick) pan, add water and cook with the lid on for about an hour, depending if you like your cauliflower firm or soft. Stir and add more water as needed during cooking.
Cottontails’ Courgette/Zucchini Soup
- 4 large courgettes cut into chunks
- 2 medium carrots cut into chunks
- 2 medium red or other onions
- 10 whole garlic cloves (or as many as you like)
- 1 can of tomatoes
- 1 veggie stock cube to taste
Put all ingredients in a pot, add water and cook for about 45mins. Then use a potato masher or blender to make the soup into bite-size pieces.
Lulu’s Lentil (and Tomato) Soup
- 250g/1lb red lentils
- 2 medium red or other onions
- 10 whole garlic cloves (or as many as you like)
- 1 can of tomatoes (optional)
- 1 veggie stock cube to taste
Put all ingredients in a pot, add water and cook until soft.
Cottontails’ (Sweet)Pea & Broccoli Soup
- 2 medium heads of fresh broccoli (including stalks) cut into pieces, or equal quantity of frozen broccoli)
- 2 medium sliced red or other onions
- 10 whole garlic cloves (or as many as you like)
- 1 small can of whole unsalted peas, or equal quantity of frozen peas
- 1 veggie stock cube to taste
Put all ingredients in a pot, add water and cook until the stalks are tender.
Cottontails’ Lunch Salad
We eat a huge salad every day for lunch.
- Half a large iceberg lettuce or other leaves, sliced into bite-size pieces
- Sliced plum or other tomatoes
- Finely cut shallots or onion
- Sliced cucumber
- 3 finely grated medium carrots
- 2-3 coarsely grated medium beetroot
- selection of coarsely cut fresh herbs, e.g. basil, mint, coriander, parsley (Italian & curly) and thyme
- Fresh lemon juice
Serve with falafel and houmous, herby tofu, etc.
Cottontails’ Herby Tofu
- Half a block of (extra) firm tofu, cut into thin (about 7-8mm) slices
- Sautée the tofu in a non-stick pan for a few minutes, turning once until golden-brown on both sides. No need to add water or oil (spray)
- Add salt/garlic granules/dried herbs (mixed Italian herbs, rosemary, sage, thyme, etc.) to taste. You will find that the dried herbs and garlic granules taste a bit salty to take care not to add to much salt.
- Serve with Cottontails’ big lunch salad (see above)
Cottontails’ Chips
Cut any type of potatoes (with their skin) into chips and soak in cold or hot water for about 15 minutes. Rinse and pat dry on a kitchen towel. Alternatively microwave or pre-boil for a few minutes and pat dry.
Place in a preheated oven (200-240°C) and bake until golden brown. There’s no need to add oil (spray)! Add (iodised) salt to taste. Store without covering to keep them crispy.
You don’t need to buy an air fryer to make these chips, they’re crispier (but soft inside) in a regular oven.
Tip: try this cooking method with sweet potatoes, swede, butternut squash or other squashes.
Cottontails’ Fried Bananas
Peel and cut each banana lengthwise and fry in a non-stick pan on both sides for a couple of minutes until golden brown. There’s no need to add oil (spray) or any other fat. Delicious on their own or on whole-grain seeded sourdough toast.
Cottontails’ Watermelon & Melon Salad
Peel and cut a watermelon and one or more of your favourite melons (canteloupe, galia, honeydew) for a delicious hydrating fruit salad. Great for breakfast or as a snack, eat in the sunshine!
Watermelon also mixes well with slices of kiwi fruit or any other fruit of your choice.
COMING SOON…
- We’re Vegan like Bunnies
- Eat More Greens!
- Where do Vegans Get their Calcium?
- Breakfast Oats
- Roasted Chickpeas
- Cottontails’ Sautéed Mushrooms/Aubergine/Courgette
- Cottontails’ Mushroom Risotto (and other vegetable risottos)
- Pasta Sauce(s)
- Buttercup & Dandelion’s Banana & Hazelnut Bread
- Pear & Pecan Cake
- Carolina’s Carrot Cake
- Frozen Berries Dessert
- Roast Chestnuts
