Eating vegan, meaning you do not eat any animal flesh or by products, does not have to mean “eating rabbit food” with a piece of carrot for breakfast and a piece of celery for lunch. On the contrary, eating a plant-based diet can be an eye-opening array of tastes and textures which can help to prolong life by reducing your chance of developing such ailments as diabetes, heart disease and cancer – TRUE Story!

Personally, I like to call myself a try-hard-vegan because in my heart-of-hearts I really do hope to eat as a strict vegan one day. But, for now, I eat seafood, the occasional piece of cheese and sometimes eggs. However, I have not eaten animals for 25 years purely because I love animals so much and can just not stomach the thought of eating a furry friend.

I think that I could probably become a Vegan easier if I was able to coordinate a constant array of dishes at each meal time. Unfortunately, this is something I constantly struggle with. I mean, I know how to make a salad, or a vegetable soup or a Veggie burger with dressings but I lack the skills to make a proper meal with a variety of options. So weird though, that for my Son I can whip things up in a jiffy but for me it is like the “lights are on but nobody is home”.

My girlfriend, mother, yoga teacher and sustainable food nut, Sarah Willis AKA YoginiCuisine, graciously put together this posting for me this week of an appetizing vegan meal with a small tasting of different foods.

Sarah calls this the “Early Summer Vegan Plate ” as beginning of the season Radishes, Garlic Scapes, Scallions, Lettuce and Beetroot are all in abundance.

MENU

• Guacamole with scant Diced Red Onion
• Beetroot (American for Beets) either canned, roasted, boiled or pressure-cooked
• Green Leaf Lettuce
• Sliced White & Red Radishes
• Cashew Scallion Oregano dressing (see below for recipe)

**To reduce consuming toxins/pesticides I suggest only using organic or low-spray ingredients

Ingredients AMAZING Cashew Scallion Oregano dressing

• Garlic Scapes chopped fine
• 1 bunch Scallions Whites and Greens chopped
• 3/4 cup Extra virgin olive oil
• 2/3 cup Apple Cider Vinegar
• 1 cup Raw Cashews
• Juice of 1/2 Lemon strained
• 1 cup Water
• Sea Salt & Pepper

How To Make the AMAZING Cashew Scallion Oregano dressing

•  Put everything in blender, except liquids, & pulse until incorporated
• Drizzle in vinegar, olive oil, water
•  Add salt & Pepper to taste

Ingredients Guacamole

• 2 Avocados
• 1/4 cup finely diced Red Onion
• Strained juice of 1 Lemon
• A Bunch of Fresh diced Oregano
• Sea Salt & Pepper

How To Make the Guacamole

• Mash Avocado with all other ingredients
• You are Good to Go

How to BRING IT ALL TOGETHER on one plate

• Assemble a plate with sliced beetroot, sliced radishes, green leaf lettuce torn into small pieces and guacamole
• Pour dressing over everything
• “RULE on” (Australian for You Are Amazing) – you are now in the Vegan ZONE

SOME FUN FACTS on the ingredients in this dish

• Radishes are good for the blood and can ease inflammation in the body
• Avocados are great for the skin, hair and proper endocrine function
• Beetroot is a fiber & iron-rich food which can help to replenish red blood cells. Beetroot is also excellent for vegans and non-vegans alike during the menstrual cycle
• Oregano is anti-fungal
• Cashew Nuts have a lower fat content than most other nuts and can promote good cardiovascular health
• Apple cider vinegar is very tonifying to the system and can help reduce symptoms of arthritis & gout as well as reducing infection

IN SUMMARY

After reading this positing, do you think that you can whip something up to Sarah’s effect. I hope so, as that is the intention; to make it easier for us all to figure out how to be a little healthier.

Please follow Sarah on Twitter at @yoginicuisine for daily inspiration to create scrumptious healthy food for your family in the kitchen.

THANK-YOU SARZ xo