It’s safe to say that April has been a pretty weird month, weather wise. In the UK, we’ve gone from fighting blustery winds in our big coats to cracking out our shorts to enjoy the sun. These huge extremes in the weather have made meal planning tricky business.
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For much of the month, many of us have craved warming meals, but summery food and sandwiches have been on the rise too. As the summer months approach, hot dinners look set to be replaced by cold dishes like pasta salads, so now is the perfect time to make the most of the last few days of comfort food season.
Here, we round up our top five most popular recipes of the month of April, to give you recipe inspiration for May, June, and beyond.
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1. Lentil stroganoff
Coming out top this month is this comfort food dish from Romy London. Traditional stroganoff recipes are far from vegan, but this plant-based version uses lentils and dairy-free cream in place of animal products. Lentils are an excellent source of plant protein, and they’re also rich in dietary fiber, folate, iron, manganese, and potassium. All in all, they’re a great addition to any diet. This recipe is pretty easy to make and makes for a great midweek meal.
2. Sweet potato grilled cheese
If you’ve never had grilled cheese in a sweet potato before, we recommend you try out this recipe, pronto. Traditionally made with bread, this Romy London dish literally goes against the grain and uses sweet potato as its base. And the results look incredible. You can use whatever dairy-free cheese you fancy for this recipe, and you’ll also need ingredients like walnuts, fresh chives, and maple syrup.
3. Banana peel bacon
If you’re new to a plant-based diet and are craving bacon, did you know you can make your own using banana peel? This zero-waste recipe from Carleigh Bodrug (from PlantYou) shows you how to utilize the skins you’d otherwise throw away, and turn them into a smoky and crispy bacon alternative. This recipe is more ethical, sustainable, and far healthier than traditional bacon, and it’s always fun experimenting with unusual recipes.
4. Vegan BLT
When going vegan, it can be tricky to know what to know what to make for lunch. Traditional sandwich recipes are often heavy on meat and cheese, while supermarket meal deal aisles tend to be filled with animal products. This vegan BLT (bacon, lettuce, and tomato) recipe – which comes from Nuts & Twigs – is packed full of protein, and it’s easy to make at home. It uses soy curls in place of bacon, as well as a number of extra salad items.
5. Sheetpan broccoli and tofu
If you want to get more protein in your diet, this recipe is for you. It’s very easy to make, meaning its perfect for tofu novices. It also only uses one pan, so you’ll avoid the hassle of too much washing up. Tofu is a complete source of plant-based protein, meaning it contains all nine essential amino acids that humans need. This recipe can be adapted to include whatever vegetables you want, and we bet you’ll come back to it again and again.
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