Marinated Portobellos and Garlic Sweet Potato Mash
(Sorry about the crappy lighting peeps...) One thing vegetarians and vegans often miss when they omit meat from their diet is the simplicity and reliability of a "meat and potatoes" meal. I don't mean we miss meat (I'm sure some do of course). I just mean that there's something that makes meal planning a whole lot easier when you just have to think of the type of meat, the type of starch and the type of veg that you want to serve for dinner that night. Of course, there's also something boring about that which is why us food bloggers get so excited about crafting meals in a totally different way - butternut squash risotto for dinner? Bien sur! Mushroom goat cheese quiche? Why not? But when you just don't have time to come up wtih something creative, turn to the vegetarian/vegan's meat: Portobello mushrooms.
Sweet Potato Lentil Stew
This is another of my favourite recipes from Alicia Silverstone's The Kind Diet - in fact, this is probably my most favourite recipe of all from the book (I previously blogged my adapted version of her amazing cupcakes). It's also one of those dishes that will never look pretty, no matter how you try to photograph it - but as all of us in the food blogosphere know, it's often the things that look the worst that taste the best! This is certainly true for this dish. What's even better is how good this is for you. The spices that are included in this dish are all so beneficial for you and there are so many thrown in, so it they make for a wonderful flavour.