Hearty vegan
Try these substantial, yet simple-to-prepare, meat-free meals
Plenty of top athletes swear by a vegan diet and it’s known to have many health benefits, plus it’s becoming harder ignore the virtues of eschewing meat for our ailing planet. Here are two simple recipes that should appeal to hungry cyclists.
BRAZILIAN AUBERGINE STROGANOFF
(VE, DF, GF)
This creamy stew with mustard as a key ingredient uses bought sauce to make it a practical midweek meal and contains three of your 5-a-day. Serve it with green veg and rice.
• 2 medium aubergines, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced or grated
• 1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
• 1 green pepper, deseeded and chopped
• Salt, to taste
• 400g shop-bought pasta sauce (your choice)
• 2tbsp Dijon mustard
• 200ml oat milk
METHOD
1 Put the chopped aubergines into a bowl of water with the vinegar and soak them for 10 minutes.
2 In a pan, heat the oil over a medium-high heat, add the garlic and onion, and sauté until golden. This should take about 8-10 minutes.
3 Drain the aubergines. Add them to the pan along with the green pepper. Season with a little salt and let them cook for about 10 minutes until they have softened.
4 Add the pasta sauce, mustard and 100ml of water. Mix well and bring to the boil. Let it simmer for 3-4 minutes.
5 Finally, add the oat milk and adjust the salt. Let it simmer for a few minutes more to allow the sauce to thicken.
6 Serve with green veg (peas will up the protein) and rice.
NUTRITIONAL ANALYSIS
Per serving 200Kcals • 11g fat • 1.5g saturates • 16.5g carbs • 12g sugars • 8g fibre
• 4g protein • 1.3g salt
Key ingredient: Aubergine
Aubergines contain protective compounds with antioxidant properties, including nasunin, which gives the fruit its deeppurple skin. You’ll also benefit from antioxidant vitamins A and C when you tuck in, plus the vitamin B eggplant contains will help keep your energy up.
“This practical midweek meal contains three of your 5-a-day”