Today was fast dinner mission day, a tonne of things to do this evening meant I had about 25 minutes from getting home to needing dinner on the table.
I think a common myth about veganism is that you either need masses of time to prepare anything, or that you are forced to live on oven chips and baked beans. Not true. I have a really good arsenal, of easy, nutritious meals at my disposal, and because there is no meat they are super quick too!
Today was our vegan version of spaghetti bolognaise. You get that rich tomato based sauce we all know and love, but none of the guilt 
Oh and just a note about the grated veg. A few years ago my good friend, who makes the most amazing cakes, phoned me in a panic asking if she could borrow an electric hand whisk as hers had broken in the middle of making a cake. I admitted I did not own one. She was surprised, to be honest I think she thought I was mad, but I did not really use many kitchen gadgets back then. Anyway, news of this travesty spread and I got given an electric hand whisk for Christmas, it changed my life! I could not believe how much time and energy I had wasted with a plain, boring old manual whisk.
I now own, and class as vital, the electric whisk, a food processor (with essential grating attachment), a blender, a juicer, a mandolin, a steamer, an ice cube crusher and a whole host of other “helpful” gadgets – I am obsessed.
My point: grating vegetables should, and could, be a 2 minute job
Not even scared about writing this recipe, it writes itself!
Ingredients:
1 onion
2/3 cloves garlic
2 grated sweet potato’s
2 grated carrots
Tin/carton of chopped tomato’s
½ tin/carton of passata
2 handfuls chestnut mushrooms
1 diced pepper
2 tbsp marmite
2 tsp oregano
Generous pinch of black pepper
2/3 generous handfuls of fresh spinach
Pasta (we use rice pasta or another wheat free option)
Method:
Get a pan of water on to boil for the pasta.
Heat a touch of oil in a pan and add a chopped onion and a few chopped cloves of garlic.
Grate 2 sweet potatoes and 2 carrots and add those to the pan.
Add a tin/carton of chopped tomato’s and ½ carton of passata.
Then add a good handful or 2 of sliced chestnut mushrooms and the diced pepper.
Add the marmite and your favourite tomato sauce herb, I opted for oregano but basil is just as good.
If it is a bit thick add a little water to get the consistency you like.
Simmer while you cook the pasta.
When the pasta is done drain and return to the pan adding in the sauce, stir together.
Then just before serving add the spinach, let sit for 30 seconds and serve ASAP.
*Non vegans could then chuck a tonne of cheddar on top, but we love Nutritional Yeast flakes (I know, it does not sound appetising, in America they call it Nooch which I slightly prefer!). It is a yeast grown on molasses and then dried with heat to “deactivate it” so it is not like the “live” frothy bread/beer making stuff. It is jam packed with B vitamins, folic acid, zinc and protein and tastes amazing, it is cheesy and nutty and savoury. It makes a great tasting topping for pastas and stews, we get through tonnes of the stuff, all good health food shops should stock it.
There you go, bolognaise, probably not just how mamma used to make
