Since my last article, Ultimate Healthy Lunch or Dinner, I’ve shifted my diet from being about 90% vegetarian to 100% vegan. As a result, I’ve created an even healthier, tastier, smaller, and easier recipe.
My switch from vegetarian to vegan happened almost overnight after watching several documentaries on this list.
New Ingredients
Fresh cabbage, balsamic vinegar, quinoa, legumes (beans, peas, lentils), cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, mushrooms, spinach, petite peas, hemp heart seeds, chia seeds, and psyllium powder (natural fiber).
These new ingredients, most of which are superfoods, are loaded with vitamins, omega fatty acids (3, 6, & 9), antioxidants, anti-inflammatory elements, proteins, and more. The health benefits of these ingredients are too numerous to list here.
New Equipment
Pressure cooker instead of a rice cooker for quinoa and a slow cooker for the legumes. I purchased the hugely popular IP. The taste of the quinoa and legumes is much better when using the pressure cooker. It also retains more of the nutrients, cooks faster, and uses less energy. I love it.
I’ve named this recipe the Vegan Superfood Lunch.
Length – Please don’t let the length and details of this recipe overwhelm you. In a few days or weeks, making it will become second nature and you’ll get it done in about 15 minutes or less.
Vegan Superfood Lunch – Recipe
Download recipe below.
Ingredients (1 serving)
- 1.5 cups finely sliced/chopped fresh green cabbage.
- 1 tablespoon chopped celery.
- 1 teaspoon diced sweet onion.
- 3-5 cherry or grape tomatoes.
- 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil.
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar.
- 1 teaspoon unsalted dry-roasted peanuts.
- 1 teaspoon unsalted sliced/diced almonds, walnuts, or both.
- 1 tablespoon of precooked quinoa.
- 1 tablespoon of precooked legumes (beans, peas, & lentils).
- 1 frozen broccoli crown.
- 1 frozen cauliflower crown.
- 3 frozen Brussels sprouts.
- 3 frozen mushroom slices.
- 1 tablespoon frozen spinach.
- 1 teaspoon frozen peas.
- 1/4 teaspoon hemp heart seeds.
- 1/4 teaspoon chia seeds.
- 1/4 teaspoon psyllium (natural fiber).
- 1 dash salt-free seasoning of your choice.
- 1 dash chili powder.
- 1 dash cayenne pepper powder.
- 1/4 diced (Hass) avocado.
Tofu & Tempeh: If you like either, you can add it along with the frozen vegetables. Strongly recommend using organic. Cut into ½ -1” cubes.
Accompaniments
- 24 oz. of filtered water with a splash of lemon juice.
- Dessert is fresh or dried unsweetened mango, papaya, dates, prunes, or grapes.
Equipment
- Microwave.
- Pressure cooker.
- Medium (5-6” wide) salad bowl.
- Medium size microwave-safe cooking bowl with cover.
- Heat protection pads or gloves.
- Cutting board.
- Multi-purpose kitchen knife.
Preparation
- Add 1.5 cups finely sliced/chopped fresh green cabbage.
- Add 1 tablespoon chopped celery.
- Add 1 teaspoon diced sweet onion.
- Add 3-5 cherry or grape tomatoes.
- Add 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil.
- Mix in oil.
- Add 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar.
- Mix in vinegar.
- Add 1 teaspoon unsalted dry-roasted peanuts.
- Add 1 teaspoon of unsalted sliced/diced almonds, walnuts, or both.
- Add 1/4 teaspoon hemp heart seeds.
- Add 1/4 teaspoon chia seeds.
- Add 1/4 teaspoon psyllium (natural fiber).
- 1 dash of salt-free seasoning of your choice.
- 1 dash cayenne red pepper powder.
- Mix.
- In a separate bowl…
- Add 1 frozen broccoli crown.
- Add 1 frozen cauliflower crown.
- Add 3 frozen Brussels sprouts.
- Add 3 frozen mushroom slices.
- Add 1 tablespoon frozen spinach.
- Add 1 teaspoon frozen peas.
- Cover bowl with a microwave-safe cover and cook on high for 1 & 1/2 minutes.
- Using heat protection pads, remove the bowl from the microwave.
- Remove the cover and cut the vegetables into small pieces.
- Drain. Using heat protection pads, replace the cover, firmly grasp the bowl, and push the cover slightly to one side to create a tiny opening for draining.
- Add 1 tablespoon of precooked quinoa. (How to make below.)
- Add 1 tablespoon of precooked legumes. (How to make below.)
- Add 1 dash chili powder.
- Add 1 dash cayenne pepper powder.
- Mix
- Cover the bowl and microwave on high for about 1-2 minutes.
- Drain in the same manner described above. Little or no liquid should drain out.
- Pour the warm ingredients on top or to one side of cabbage mix.
- Add 1/4 diced avocado on top.
Details
You don’t have to measure each ingredient exactly or include every item. If there are ingredients you like or don’t like, increase, reduce, or eliminate them. However, I encourage you to “not” remove ingredients simply because you’ve never eaten this particular combination of foods before. Be bold! Try it!
The key to enjoying a vegan diet over a “traditional” one is not to compare the taste, but rather to compare and appreciate the health benefits. Soon, your taste buds will adjust, and you’ll love the taste and hate the unhealthy stuff.
Draining is necessary because the vegetables are frozen. Although it’s a bit of a hassle, draining it well makes the recipe much better by preventing it from being watery.
For expediency, I make a 5-7 day supply of quinoa and legumes.
Quinoa
I buy bags of uncooked, pre-washed organic quinoa. To keep it fresh, I only cook about 3/4 of a cup at a time in a pressure cooker. I use organic low-sodium (salt) vegetable broth instead of water for taste and nutritional benefits. I also add a dash of turmeric powder for the same reasons.
Follow your pressure cooker or rice cooker instructions for quinoa, broth amounts, and cooking times.
Legumes
I buy legumes (beans, peas, lentils) soup mix in bulk. I use this soup mix instead of buying the items individually to save time and have a greater variety.
Be sure to thoroughly rinse the legumes with water before cooking.
I cook about 3/4 cup of the legumes in a pressure cooker. I use organic low-sodium (salt) vegetable broth instead of water for taste and nutritional benefits. I also add a dash of cumin powder for the same reasons.
Follow your pressure cooker or slow cooker instructions for the legumes, broth amount, and the cooking time.
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You can adjust the seasonings to make the recipe match your favorite flavors. One word of caution. It’s easy to overlook the high sodium (salt) levels in many seasonings.
Recipe Download
Get a copy here: Vegan Superfood Lunch – Recipe
To your health and fitness.