the quickest, most delicious dinner you will ever make.

It's getting to that time in the semester - the end is in sight, your stress level is through the roof and you don't have time to make something elaborate.   You want something fresh, simple and that will take that five minutes you have spare to smash something delicious together... enter your new superhero!  The lettuce leaf tempeh taco!

You will need:
1 big Cos Lettuce
2-3 Tomatoes of your choice
1 large ripe Hass Avocado
1 block of seasoned Tempeh (splash out and grab a good one such as Tallyho Farms Biodynamic Tempeh)
Hommus
Dried Chilli
Bit of Coconut Oil

Cut up tempeh into slices approximately 1cm thick and throw into a pan with the coconut oil over a medium- high heat,  they will cook whilst you prepare your other ingredients so keep an eye on them and give them a shake once in a while.

Wash lettuce and cut into large squares.  lay them flat on plates and squash some avo into the middle of each one.  Slice up tomato and put a couple of slices into each lettuce "taco" on top of the avo.  spread a bit of hommus on top of the tomato and spinkle some chilli flakes.

Next, take your sliced tempeh from the frypan and put a few bits on top of the hommus. 

Wrap up each lettuce leaf and eat - whilst reviewing your lecture notes.

let's start with the greens!

So, let’s try this thing, and ease into things pretty easily with some things that I’m currently reading and eating.
Firstly, my current superhero is Brendan Brazier.  He is a Vegan Triathlete from Canada, who has written several books about “high net gain plant based nutrition”.  His book Thrive explains how the western, over processed diet is affecting our health, and how he believes that a plant based diet (with supplementation) is beneficial for the body.
There are two things I really like about Brazier.  The first is that he isn’t just out there making wild claims about a vegan diet, which many books and blogs seem to be doing at the moment.  The benefits he lists are pretty obvious, and backed up with reference to excellent research.    The second thing I like is that he doesn’t just talk about the benefits of a plant based diet, he gives you the tools to make it easy to incorporate into your own lifestyle, with a diet and exercise plan and a truckload of excellent recipes.  We make his recipes pretty much everyday and from the recovery puddings to the almond and linseed burgers, it all tastes excellent, is nourishing and filling, and really easy to make.
http://www.brendanbrazier.com/
He also offers a series of online tutorials called Thrive in 30 which are excellent, short videos full of practical and interesting information that are FREE!  Sign up here:
http://thrivein30.com/sign-up-now/
A blog that I have really enjoyed lately is the Vegan RD.  This site is by Ginny Kisch Messina, MPH, RD, a dietician in the US. Her blog is excellent, and I would recommend it to anyone who is interested in achieving a nutritionally balanced and correctly supplemented Vegan or Vegetarian lifestyle.  She offers easy to understand advice on supplementation for vegans, a vegan food guide, and regularly critically reviews books and internet articles.  She focuses on dispelling myths about vegan diets, and also has some interesting social commentary style posts regarding the vegan community.  A not so recent post of hers that I have really enjoyed was her review of a new book called ‘The Vegetarian Myth’ by an ex-vegan called Lierre Keith.
Anyway, below is a link to her excellent blog:
www.theveganrd.com
As for the leafy greens?  Currently, I am obsessed with all things leafy and green.  From Kale, to Rainbow Chard I’m enjoying them all a lot at the moment and incorporating them into my meals twice a day.  For anything leafy, I think simple is best.  I’ve been lightly steaming them, drizzling with some flaxseed oil and sprinkling sesame seeds over the top. So simple, so delicious, so good for you.