Alright, so today I wanted to whip up something quick and vegan for dinner, and I thought, why not share the whole process with you guys? I’m not a chef or anything, just a regular person who likes to eat good food without spending hours in the kitchen. So, let’s get started!
Quick Tofu Scramble
First, I grabbed some firm tofu from the fridge. I pressed it for about 10 minutes to get rid of the excess water – just wrapped it in a clean towel and put a heavy book on top. While the tofu was getting pressed, I chopped up some veggies. I had an onion, a bell pepper, and some spinach on hand, so that’s what went in. You can use whatever veggies you like, really.
Once the tofu was ready, I crumbled it into a pan with a bit of olive oil. I added the chopped onion and bell pepper and cooked them until they were soft. Then, I tossed in the spinach and let it wilt for a couple of minutes. For seasoning, I kept it simple: salt, pepper, and a bit of turmeric for that eggy color. Oh, and a dash of garlic powder, because why not?
Cooked everything for about 5-7 minutes until the tofu was nicely browned and the veggies were tender. Served it up with some whole-wheat toast. And that’s it! A super quick and easy vegan meal in under 20 minutes.
Speedy Chickpea Curry
Okay, so for this one, I started by heating up some coconut oil in a pot. While that was getting hot, I diced an onion and minced a couple of cloves of garlic. Tossed those into the pot and let them cook until they were fragrant and slightly golden.
Next, I added a can of chickpeas (drained and rinsed), a can of diced tomatoes, and a can of coconut milk. For spices, I went with curry powder, cumin, and a pinch of red pepper flakes for a little heat. Stirred everything together, brought it to a simmer, and let it cook for about 15 minutes. The longer it simmers, the more the flavors blend, but honestly, even a quick 10-minute simmer tastes pretty darn good.
While the curry was simmering, I cooked some rice. You could also serve it with naan or just eat it as is. Once the curry had thickened up a bit, I stirred in some fresh cilantro (because I love the stuff). And there you have it – a delicious, hearty chickpea curry in no time at all!
Pasta with a Kick
First up, I put a big pot of salted water on the stove to boil for the pasta. While that was heating up, I prepped my ingredients. I had some cherry tomatoes, garlic, and fresh basil. I halved the tomatoes, minced the garlic, and roughly chopped the basil.
Once the water was boiling, I tossed in my pasta. While the pasta was cooking, I heated some olive oil in a large pan. I added the minced garlic and cooked it for about a minute until it was fragrant, making sure not to burn it. Then, I added the cherry tomatoes to the pan. I cooked them until they started to soften and burst a little, which took around 5-7 minutes.
When the pasta was done, I reserved a cup of the pasta water before draining it. I added the drained pasta to the pan with the tomatoes and garlic. I tossed everything together, adding a bit of the reserved pasta water to create a light sauce that coated the pasta nicely. Finally, I stirred in the fresh basil, salt, and pepper to taste. I also added a pinch of red pepper flakes for a little extra heat. Served it up immediately.
So there you go, folks! Three easy, quick vegan recipes that I whipped up. Hope this gives you some ideas for your own quick meals. Happy cooking!
