12 recipes for those who want to cut down on meat
In 2014, Jane Land and Matthew Glover’s non-profit organisation emerged in the UK. From the combination of the words “January” and “vegan”, Veganuary was created to urge people and companies to pursue a lifestyle and way of doing business away from animal products. At the moment the related hashtag has made its way into one and a half million Instagram posts, and it’s also a very popular challenge among food bloggers and beyond.
Seven years after that first campaign, pretty much all of us have been educated about the often unethical methods of meat production, about the benefits of a vegetarian diet. It’s not January, obviously, but the conversation around making our daily lives greener, both for ourselves and for the surrounding ecosystem, has intensified to the point where it now exceeds the momentum of a single month of awareness-raising.
However, I’m sure you’ve been in groups where the person who chose to order the meat-free recipe on the menu was asked to answer the question “well, did you go vegan too?” – perhaps it was you who was the one who looked at you in wonderment. Or who asked the above question.
I’m going to talk about something personal for a moment. I’m not vegan or vegeterian, however for the last six years I’ve made a point of not cooking meat at home. I recently stopped putting cow’s milk in my fridge and started trying those that taste like fruit. The New Year’s cake I baked to usher in this year was not typical, it was a delicious dessert with no trace of animal product. I try as much as I can to visit restaurants that, if they work with meat, mention its origins and ways of raising it.
There may not be many yet, but some of Athens’ major restaurants are following seasonality, have created vegetarian menus, while others are returning to those roots of the Greek diet that help us reduce the animal products on our plates.
There may not be many yet, but some of Athens’ major restaurants are following the seasonality and have created vegetarian menus, while others are returning to those roots of the Greek diet that help us reduce the animal products on our plates. At the same time, the city’s new quality cafes offer vegan options, and very tasty ones at that. Wine bars explain to their patrons when a wine is vegan.
When you look around you may be surprised to learn that others are trying to take such small steps. I recently learned that I’m not the only one in the office who doesn’t freeze meat, and, observing our delivery orders, I found that we honor vegetables and legumes. The city’s plant-based fast food kitchens cleverly cater to even those who are not vegan.
How much difference would it make to the planet if we all switched to a plant-based diet? Experts say changing the way we eat is essential for its future, but government policies in that direction are also needed.
The literature on the dietary impact of reducing or avoiding meat altogether varies. Some studies suggest that a shift to vegetarian options would reduce greenhouse gas emissions per person by 3%. Others suggest a 20-30% reduction by halving meat consumption per person.
According to journalist, author and environmentalist George Monbiot, this not inconsiderable difference in numbers has to do with different measurements by scientists, some talking about the “current account”, i.e. the carbon released from the production of one food or another, and others about the production of one food versus another that we will leave behind in the future by changing our plate habits. These gas emissions are of course not the only measure of sustainability. The impact of agricultural systems on soil acidification and water quality must also be considered.
In 2018, Joseph Poore and Thomas Nemecek, the Oxford University researchers behind the most comprehensive analysis to date of agriculture’s damage to the planet, found that avoiding meat and dairy consumption is the most powerful way to reduce the impact on the planet. The research showed that without meat and dairy consumption the world’s agricultural land could be reduced by more than 75% – an area equal in area to the US, China, the European Union and Australia combined – and still the planet could be fed. Another 2017 study predicted that if Americans ate more beans and less beef, they could free up 42% of arable land.
On the other hand, Frank Mitloehner, a professor at the University of California, stresses that shifting the burden to citizens is a distraction from the policy changes needed, “we need to incentivize those who can reduce greenhouse gas emissions to do so,” he says. He believes the most important individual choice anyone can make is to “go vote.”
The livestock industry uses resources efficiently. A report published in 2019 in the Lancet found that more than 820 million people around the world lack adequate food. Nearly two-thirds of all soybeans, corn, barley and about one-third of all grains are used as animal feed.
And if the above doesn’t sound particularly convincing or motivating to you, and if you don’t think that each of us, individually, can bring about change, the same report says that our unhealthy eating habits are the biggest cause of the burden on our health, having even surpassed smoking as the leading cause of death and disease. Eating more plant foods and fewer animal products could prevent between 10.9 and 11.6 million premature deaths from heart disease, diabetes and other chronic conditions worldwide.
Maria Popa, 50, cooks at Peas vegan & raw food
Before I became a vegeterian twelve years ago, that’s when I started thinking that something doesn’t have to die for me to eat. Of animal products I continued to eat only eggs. For the last six years I’ve been vegan.
In the twenty-five years I have worked in professional kitchens I have cooked a lot of meat. Until ten years ago when I quit a restaurant, where I had a quota, because I couldn’t cook it.
When I changed my diet I couldn’t find anywhere to eat out, now even the neighbourhood kebab shops have a vegetarian option. Since Peas opened four years ago, more and more people who are not vegan have been visiting us, after all, we cater to everyone, those looking for food that’s homemade and delicious. A child told us at one point: “I want to try something from you, but I’m not vegan”. It’s been two years since we met him, he hasn’t eaten meat since.
In my group we are all vegan. Our tests are fine, we ask each other “how long has it been since you’ve had the flu, when was the last time you got sick?”. We know what to eat and how to cook it. And no, we don’t just eat greens, as many people think.
Every body has its own wants. So, to cut down on meat, you can start by replacing it with something else plant-based that you really like, that you can put in your diet every day. We used to make our own almond milk, now there are so many things available, delicious substitutes for those who want to change their diet. Cutting down on meat, which is full of antibiotics, is not that hard, you can just replace at least one meal a day.
Veloute soup with sweet potatoes and carrots
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Materials
2-3 sweet potatoes (depending on size)
4-5 carrots (depending on size)
1 piece of fresh ginger
1-2 pieces of star anise
Oil
Lemon
Little cardamom, turmeric and black pepper
1 red Florina pepper, fresh coriander or parsley for the
garnished
Execution
Boil all the ingredients together over low heat until tender. Puree and serve with 1 tablespoon of raw oil or a little vegetable cooking cream (e.g. cashew or soy sauce).
Garnish with raw Florina pepper – it helps those with frozen limbs – coriander to detoxify the kidneys and lemon juice for vitamin C. The same recipe can be made with yellow squash and carrots or orange lentils.
Buddha bowl with quinoa and tofu
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Materials
150 g natural tofu
1 cup of quinoa
1 red pepper
1 green pepper
Mint, parsley, basil
For the dressing
Oil
Lemon juice or balsamic vinegar (without honey)
Little agave syrup
Salt
Cardamom powder
Soy sauce or tamari
Green salad of your choice and avocado
Execution
Boil the quinoa in a cup and a half of water, season with salt and let it cool. Finely chop the remaining vegetables and mix them with the quinoa. Sauté the tofu with a little oil and top with soy sauce or tamari. Optionally add toasted sesame seeds.
Lentil and quinoa burger
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Materials for 2 pieces
4 burger buns
100 g cooked lentils
50 g quinoa, boiled
3 tablespoons of gluten-free flour of your choice or breadcrumbs grated
2 carrots grated on a grater
Salt, pepper
1/2 tsp. 1/2 1/2 1/2 cup cumin
1/2 tsp. turmeric
Orange
Tomato
Lettuce
Mustard or vegan mayonnaise
Execution
Stir all the ingredients (except the tomato, lettuce, mustard and mayonnaise) until you have a homogeneous mixture. Make two large burgers, brush them with oil and bake on a non-stick baking paper in the oven for 30᾽.
Prepare your burgers, smear the bread with mustard or mayonnaise, add the lettuce, your burger and tomato.
Aroma rice with vegetables and cashew parmesan
Materials
1 grated carrot
2 zucchini grated on the grater
2 small white eggplants peeled, diced
100 g of grated cabbage
Oil for sautéing
Salt, pepper
Orange, thyme
100 g of aromatic rice (e.g. basmati)
150 g water
For the parmesan
2 tablespoons raw cashews
1 tsp nutritional yeast
Little salt
Execution
Simmer the vegetables until browned, then add the rice and a little bit of water. Stir constantly until the water is gone and the liquid is absorbed.
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Put the parmesan ingredients in a blender and puree. Alternatively, you can roast raw cashews, buckwheat, sesame seeds and toast them with a little soy sauce.
Serve the rice garnished with the parmesan or cashews.
Noodles with vegetables and tofu
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Materials
1 packet of noodles (e.g. millet and brown rice)
2 carrots cut into rings
1 packet of mushrooms of various kinds (shiitake, brown, pleurotus, sabignon)
1 courgette
1 red pepper
1 star anise
Salt, pepper
Turmeric, cardamom powder
1 packet of natural tofu
Light cornstarch
Little soy sauce or tamari
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Execution
Cut the tofu into cubes and flour it with the cornstarch. Sauté it in a pan in a little oil on both sides, add soy sauce when it is well browned.
In a deep frying pan, sauté all your vegetables with the spices until soft.
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Boil the noodles in salted water for about 5᾽. When ready, add them to your vegetables and mix well. Serve in a deep dish and add the tofu at the end.
The same recipe can be made with any vegetables you have, broccoli, spinach, chard, carrots, cabbage, pak choi.
Panos Magoulas, 23, runs the instagram account “Vegan Reality”
I’ve been vegan for the past four years. I knew nothing about veganism, until the last night before I gave up meat I was eating skewers. I attended a talk on veganism, “101 Reasons to go vegan”, by James Wildman. I threw out all the sweets I had in my cupboards. I cut out meat and all animal products overnight.
I went vegan on June 6, I remember it because I had an exam, I was studying tourism. I cooked a lot at home because in New Philadelphia where I live there were no stores that catered to my new food choices. As soon as I heard that the first school for vegan chefs opened, I went and enrolled immediately.
I thought I would never be able to give up chicken, feta and eggs. Now I no longer fall asleep weighing myself down, I notice I wake up with much more energy and in a better mood.
I have a friend who, instead of ordering the burger he’s used to, sometimes opts for vegan. Out of nothing is good too, I like to see it.
Fettuccine with cream, red pepper and turmeric
Materials
300g fettuccine spaghetti
3 tsp. 3 tsp. turmeric
250 ml soy cream
1 red horn pepper
1 tsp hot paprika
40g yellow grated vegetable cheese
1 tsp salt
Execution
Place the pasta in boiling water and remove in 5 minutes. Then take a pan and put the pepper in it with a little vegetable butter until it turns a little color, then add the vegetable cream, spices, vegetable cheese.
Add the pasta and stir to get the sauce all over. Add half a cup of water from the reserved pasta.
Soybean kebab with oriental sauce, basmati rice, vegetable yoghurt and avocado
Materials
250 g. soy kebab
250 g. rice
2 large onions
5 tomatoes for sauce
1/2 can tomato sauce
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp garam masala (Indian spice mix)
1 tsp. 1 teaspoon cumin
1 tsp nutmeg
1-2 tsp salt
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tbsp (sharp) sweet paprika
1 cup vegetable yogurt
1 avocado
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Execution
Place the kebabs in a large bowl of hot water (just enough to cover them). Then take a saucepan and add oil to burn the onion. Once it starts to brown, add the soy sauce, paprika and mix well.
Then drain the kebab and add it to the pot. Add the sauces and a glass of water. Once it comes to a boil, lower the heat and let it sit for at least 30 minutes.
Start the rice. First put it in a bowl, add water and rinse it three times. Then we put it in a pot, add salt and let it cook.
Serve on a plate, put the vegetable yogurt and the avocado mashed on the side.
Marinated tofu with broccoli, radishes, spinach and two-color quinoa
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Materials
250 g tofu
200 g broccoli
50 g quinoa
150 g spinach
4 radishes
1 tbsp tahini
1 tsp. mustard
2 tsp chicken spice mix
2 tsp olive oil
2 tsp soy sauce
2 tbsp. water (add depending on how strong you want the flavor of the mixture, always taste)
1 tsp. 1 teaspoon of cornstarch
half a cup of orange juice
Execution
Remove the tofu from the package and use a paper towel to press it to release the water. Put the broccoli and quinoa in a separate pot to boil. Start the marinade for the tofu: first add the tahini, mustard and spices, then the oil, soy sauce, water and orange juice, and last add the cornstarch. Stir very well.
Once you’re done stirring, add the tofu to the marinade, cover with a gelatin sheet and refrigerate until the broccoli and quinoa are done. If we have time, it would be good to put the tofu in the marinade for two and three hours.
Once the broccoli and quinoa are done, boil the spinach for a few minutes and then fry the tofu. Finally, put all the ingredients in a bowl and enjoy your dish.
Tacos with breaded bites of cauliflower, cabbage, carrot, corn and homemade cheddar sauce
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Materials
5 taco pies
10 bunches of cauliflower
Red cabbage
Carrot
60g corn
1 cup of vegetable milk
5 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tbsp sweet paprika
2 tbsp taco spice mix (otherwise BBQ mix)
2 tsp hot paprika
1 avocado
200g grated corn flakes
Like parsley
100 ml cream
200 g cheddar cheese
1 tbsp butter
1 tsp turmeric
Execution
Boil the cauliflower for a few minutes. When it’s out, get two large bowls: in one bowl, add the cornflour, milk and hot pepper and mix well, and in the other bowl, add the grated cornflakes and spices, again mixing.
Then pass the cauliflower florets into the liquid mixture and then into the solid mixture – we’ll do this twice and set aside for 10 minutes. Then we’ll drop them into hot oil, leave them for 2-3 minutes until they turn golden.
Start making the cheddar sauce. First add the cream and turmeric, then add the cheddar, taste if it needs a little salt or a little more turmeric.
Once everything is done, put your pies in the pan, 1 minute per side. Serve on top of them.
Mixed soybean, red bean and green pepper patties
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Materials
250 g minced soy
200 g potatoes
200 g red beans
3 green peppers
5 tomatoes for juice
2 cinnamon sticks
2 bay leaves
Five spice blend
6 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 can tomato sauce
2 dried onions (medium)
2 garlic cloves
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Execution
First, put the soy mince in some hot water to soften it. Then we put the onion and garlic with oil in a pot and as soon as they get color, we add the pepper.
Remove the soy mince from the water, put it in a saucepan with the tomato juice, oil and spices. Once it comes to a boil, lower the heat to low and put the lid on.
We have cut the potatoes into thick chips, put them in cold water with salt in a saucepan over medium heat. Once done, add the beans and potatoes to the soy mince. Stir carefully to prevent the potatoes from breaking up.
Athena Moisoglou, 32, cooks at W Karytsi, is an Instagram baker under the name “les gâteauxd’athéna”
I stopped eating meat nine years ago, and six months later I cut out animal products. As a cook I was into meat all day and just one day I decided to take it out of my diet. I was long urged on by my vegetarian friends, but I didn’t think I would ever make it.
Besides the moral aspect, which makes me feel better about my choice, I feel lighter – I am of course watching what I eat. Now my meat-eating friends are asking for recipes that include more vegetables and pulses, I think more and more people are now becoming aware and informed.
“Where do you get your protein and B12 from?”, “do you get your fill”, “how do you get your fill?”, “so you only eat greens?”. You are very likely to be asked these questions if you go vegan. But if you eat legumes, carbohydrates, fruits and vegetables, if you really watch your diet, your body is not deprived of anything, Mediterranean cuisine helps in that direction.
As for vegan desserts, they have nothing to envy from the classics, they are just lighter.
Chocolate cake with sour cherry and coconut whipped cream
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Materials for the base
250g vegan chocolate chip cookies
100 g vegetable margarine or coconut oil
For the chocolate cream
400 g dark chocolate
280 g coconut drink
1/4 tsp vanilla
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For the coconut whipped cream
2 cans of coconut cream (canned, high-fat)
2 tablespoons agave syrup
1/4 tsp vanilla
1 jar sweet cherry
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For the base
Blend the biscuits in a mixer until they are a powder. In a small saucepan, melt the margarine and add it to the biscuits, mixing well. In a 20-22 cm diameter round baking pan, mix the butter and the egg yolks. spread the biscuit mixture, press it well so that the base sticks, becomes compact and has no gaps.
Place the cookie base in the refrigerator until you have prepared the cream and whipped cream.
For the whipped cream
Put the canned coconut in the fridge from the day before.
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Open the can and use a spoon to scoop out just the top part (the cream, that is, without the water on the bottom, which can be used in a smoothie) and place it in a bowl. Beat the cream with a hand mixer until fluffy and add the vanilla and agave syrup. Store the whipped cream in the refrigerator.
For the chocolate cream
Cut your chocolate into small pieces and place in a bowl. Heat the coconut shake with the vanilla until it comes to a boil. Then pour it into the chocolate chips and wait two minutes. Then whisk until smooth. Add the mixture to the cookie sheet and refrigerate for at least 8-10 hours.
When the cake is ready, carefully unmold, add the sweet cherry and top with whipped cream. You can add cocoa powder, chocolate chips or nuts on top of the whipped cream.
Cheesecake with date caramel
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Materials for the base
250g vegan cookies
100 g vegetable margarine or coconut oil
For the cream
200 g raw cashews (soaked overnight)
300 g vegan cream cheese
130 g coconut cream
40 g coconut oil
50 g lemon juice
60 g agave syrup
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt
For the date candy
200 g of dates
100 g of coconut drink
1/4 vanilla extract
For the base
Blend the biscuits in a mixer until they are a powder. In a small saucepan, melt the margarine and add it to the biscuits, mixing well.
In a 20-22 cm diameter round cake tin, spread the biscuit mixture. Press it down firmly so that the base sticks together and is compact and has no gaps. Place the base in the refrigerator until the custard is ready.
For the date caramel
Cut the dates in half and remove the pit. Boil them in a pot of water for 15 minutes, drain them and add them to a blender with the coconut drink, salt and vanilla (if you want the caramel to be more fluid, add more coconut drink).
Store the caramel in a jar and refrigerate until ready to serve.
For the custard
In a blender, place the soaked, overnight soaked cashews and add all the cream ingredients and blend well until smooth.
Add the cream to the cookie sheet and refrigerate for at least 8-10 hours. Finally, once the cake is ready, carefully unmold and spread the caramel.
This article was published in the print edition of LiFO.
