The guide to Veganuary: everything you need to know

We are all working on our New Year’s resolutions in this time of the year, setting our goals, and generally trying to incorporate good habits into our routines.
 
With more and more people wanting to do better for the planet, joining Veganuary is a great place to start! 

In this blog, we will delve into what Veganuary is and why you should participate. In addition, if you’re looking for some inspiration on what to cook, we have compiled some delicious vegan recipes that are simple, delicious, and sure to be on your repeat list!
 
Let's start with the basics: What is Veganuary?
As the name suggests, Veganuary is a global movement with over one million people taking the 31-day plant-based pledge to help the planet, during the month of January.
 
Reasons why you should join Veganuary?

• Prevents animal cruelty: the easiest way to prevent animal cruelty by just finding plant-based alternatives to meat, eggs and dairy products. Did you know every vegan saves nearly 200 animals per year?! (source: Peta 2020)

• Saves the planet: Consuming meat causes enormous amounts of pollution and contributes to the climate crisis. According to the guardian, Meat accounts for nearly 60% of all greenhouse gases from food production. The difference in emissions between meat and plant production is stark – to produce 1kg of wheat, 2.5kg of greenhouse gases are emitted. A single kilo of beef, meanwhile, creates 70kg of emissions.

• Vegan food is delicious and good for your health.

Let’s deep dive into 4 recipes to inspire you trying some of them or all!
 
The cooking corner of GREENA with Vegan Recipes:

1. Pasta Dellarolle with Tomate and basilic cream
 
Ideal for intolerants to gluten, this organic wholemeal rice flour penne from the variety Dellarole is the perfect choice of healthy pasta. It has been bronze drawn meaning they have a rougher texture so really hold the sauce well and it has been dried very slowly. 

To make this tasty cream Umile mixed old varieties (also known as peasant variety, local variety) of tomato and basilic with a bit of onion, salt and extra virgin olive oil.
 
Pair it with the tomato and basilic cream from Umile to have a healthy, organic and easy to make dish! 

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2. Vegan Chickpea Quinoa Arugula Salad With Lemon Garlic Dressing 

A salad full of fresh vibrant produce, plant-based protein and delicious flavors! It’s vegan, gluten free and seriously filling. 

Thanks "Short girl long order blog" for the recipe. 

What you need for the dressing:

• 3 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• ½ Tablespoon lemon zest
• 1 clove garlic skins removed
• ¼ cup olive oil high quality. Olive oil matters for this dressing
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• ½ or 1 teaspoon salt more or less depending on preference

What you need for the salad:

• 1 ½ cups cooked quinoa (¾ cup dried quinoa cooked with 1 ½ cups of water)
• 2 cups Sriracha Roasted Chickpeas 
• 6 cups arugula loosely packed
• 1 cup pea shoots, optional
• 1 cup chopped mini peppers or bell pepper
• 1 cup chopped snap peas
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
• ¼ cup pepitas raw pumpkin seeds
• 2 large avocado, sliced

Step by Step
First, make the garlic lemon dressing. Blend together the lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic clove, olive oil, pepper, and salt until creamy. Then, add to a small container and set aside.

Time to roast the chickpeas
Next, preheat the oven to 375F and make the Roasted Sriracha Chickpeas. Again, roasting the chickpeas is optional but add a nice crunch to this salad. If not roasting, just use canned cooked chickpeas.

Time to cook the quinoa:
While the chickpeas are roasting cook the quinoa. Add 3/4 cup dried quinoa to a sauce pan with 1 ½ cup of water and stir together. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook covered for 10-15 minutes until all the water has been absorbed and quinoa is fully cooked. Remove quinoa from heat and set aside to cool.

Prepare the veggies in parallel:  
While the quinoa and chickpeas are cooking, chop the veggies including the mini peppers, snap peas, cherry tomatoes, and avocado.

Time to assemble the salad:
Add the arugula, pea shoots, cooked quinoa, chickpeas, peppers, snap peas, and tomatoes to a large bowl and toss. Next, add on the lemon garlic dressing and toss until everything is coated in dressing. As a final step, top the salad with the sliced avocado. Serve immediately!

Give a twist to your snacks or aperitifs with the right products

3. Prebiotic Beetroot Hummus: with a unique taste, the highlight of this hummus is the heirloom vegetable Beetroot Detroit 2.

To make this tasty hummus, Umile mixed the beetroot with sprouted lentils, Tonda Siciliana Hazelnuts and cumin. The lentils that have been sprouted for 72 hours to maximize the nutrients and avoid bloating. The hazelnuts are rich in vitamins B1, B2, B3, B9, oleic acid, vitamin E, magnesium, manganese.
And the cumin is known for its carminative and anti-inflammatory qualities.
Made from all natural and organic ingredients. Spread a thick layer on top of 100% sprouted rye bread for a delicious break or eat with some celery sticks.

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4. Vegan nutella energy bites

If you love Nutella but you prefer healthier alternatives to it, you would love the Cacao and Hazelnuts Spread from Umile that is made with organic ingredients and no palm oil has been used in it. Use this cacao spread to prepare energy bites for your snacks.

What you need

• 1 cup old fashioned oats

• ½ cup vegan Nutella (Umile calls it Cacao Noir Forastero)

• 2 tablespoons chia seeds

• ¼ cup hazelnuts or almonds*

• Coconut flakes

*Hazelnuts complement better the Nutella, but almonds are also a good option in this Nutella Energy Bites recipe, less expensive and easier to find.

Step by Step

1. Put the oats and Nutella in a food processor and mix until the oats are starting to break down and well combined.  Add the chia seeds and hazelnuts and continue to mix until the nuts are chopped and combined.
2. Spread the coconut onto a plate. Drop them into the coconut, and gently roll into 12 bites, covering it in coconut. Store in the fridge.

Whether you want to join Veganuary or just want to add more vegan recipes in your nutritional plan, we hope we inspired you with these ideas and recipes.

If you have recipes you would like us to publish contact us and share with us!

Gaby