TEAM ZOELLA JANUARY 6, 2020

3 Easy Snacks To Kickoff Your Veganuary

With the festive period done and dusted for another year, the majority of us are probably just coming round from the self-inflicted cheese coma we crawled into over Christmas.

It’s all fun and games until it’s not, and you start to curdle quicker than a three-day-old bread sauce. Public transport has become a challenge with the crowds and the tight spaces – it’s no place for a woman with camembert on the breath to be.

It’s at this point we hold a mirror up to our food choices and ask ourselves when we should shop eating Quality Street for breakfast, inhaling Mini Cheddars like sweet, sweet oxygen and milking the festive season for all its merry, gluttonous worth.

Enter Veganuary. Whether you’re going all out cold turkey on meat, or you’re testing a life without cheese, we’ve got a few go-to vegan recipes to get you started.

Ya see, those of you taking the leap into veganism and swerving meat and dairy for January don’t have to miss out on the snacks. There’s plenty of ways to get creative with your food and what better way to ease yourself into the meat-free life than by starting with the nibbles!

We’ve got popcorn, we’ve got guacamole dip and we’ve got sweet potato crisps for the win. Let the snack-a-thon commence.

Popcorn Seasoning

A savoury spin on the sweet cinema snack. This tangy and flavoursome dill-infused popcorn tastes so good, you won’t even think about caving into the office cake with this handsome nosh hanging around.

SERVES

PREP: 5 MINS COOK: 10 MINS

EASY

For your popcorn:

Heat up your choice of oil/butter in a heavy bottomed pan. Make sure you’ve got the pan at the right temperature by putting a couple of kernels in to the pan to see if they pop or burn.
When the temperature is correct put your kernels in to the pan and place the lid on top but slightly to the side so you don’t steam your popcorn.

For your topping:

Mix your dry ingredients in to a a bowl and lightly dust over your popcorn when it’s ready!

Holy Guacamole

Avo load of this. Going green in January doesn’t seem so bad with this creamy and zingy Mexican-inspired dish on your side. He’s chunky, bursting with flavour and best enjoyed smeared all over your tortilla chips.

SERVES

PREP: 10 MINS COOK: 5 MINS

EASY

Thinly dice the onion and tomato
Finely chop the coriander (remove if this herb’s not for you)
Cut open your avocado removing the stone and mash in to a bowl
Add all the ingredients in to a bowl giving it a good stir, keep it as smooth or chunky as you’d like
Add lime juice and salt to your desired taste
Enjoy with tortilla chips or crudites

Spicy Cauliflower Wings

Buffalo wings so convincingly close to the real deal, you’ll swear you’re tucking into the classic game-day snack. But you’re not, it’s a plant-based miracle. Crispy on the outside with fluffy innards to boot, your florets have never tasted so good.

SERVES

PREP: 15 MINS COOK: 15 MINS

MEDIUM

Pre-heat your oven to 180°C
In a bowl combine the spices, water, and flour, this will be your batter.
Break apart your cauliflower head in to wing sized segments
Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper
Dip your cauliflower florets in to the batter and place on to the baking sheet and cook until brown and crispy
Meanwhile melt your vegan butter in the microwave and add your chosen hot sauce
When the cauliflower is done toss it in a bowl with the butter hot sauce mix
Serve on it’s own or, with some vegan yogurt, or with more hot sauce if your a super spice lover

Garlic and Rosemary Sweet Potato Crisps

Vegan alternatives can be tasty and the proof’s in the spuds. Home-baked crisps are easy to whip up when you’re craving a potato-based snack. They’re quick, nutritious and best served with the aforementioned homemade guac.

Slice a sweet potato into thin slices, drizzle with a generous glug of olive oil and bake ’em up real good. Season with salt and dried rosemary and chow down like tomorrow doesn’t exist.

SERVES

PREP: 5 MINS COOK: 10 MINS

EASY

Pre-heat your oven to 180°C
Thinly slice the sweet potato and place on a baking tray
Pour on a good glug of olive oil and add a tablespoon of garlic powder and dried rosemary
Bake in the over for roughly 10 minutes or until brown and crispy