In August 1944, members of the Vegetarian Society, a group founded in Britain in the nineteenth century by people who actively promoted and followed meat-free diets, asked that a section of its newsletter be devoted to non-dairy vegetarianism.
By November, a quarterly newsletter was dedicated to this purpose. It was named “The Vegan News”. Donald Watson, secretary of one of the branches, chose the word vegan himself, based on “the first three and last two letters of vegetarian“ because it marked, in Watson's words, “the beginning and end of vegetarian.“
In celebration of the month, here are seven foodie accounts boasting an abundance of tasty vegan recipes for all your cooking inspo.
@hotforfood
By Lauren Toyota
Home to some of the most mouth-watering vegan dishes, Hot For Food was originally a blog started by Lauren Toyota, a Canadian content producer and author who started out on television. Her blog is a creative, yet somewhat messy space, where creativity and wild ideas are at the forefront, flourishing into viral dishes that have the vegan community in a choke hold.
Her recipe for cauliflower buffalo wings, silky vegan nacho cheese and crispy “chicken” style burgers prove that veganism doesn’t have to be all about the veggies, so long as you use the right spices and seasoning, plant-based options can easily mimic your favourite fast food options. Using an array of pantry staples as well as some rather experimental ingredients such as jackfruit and kala namak (Indian black salt), every idea is innovative, making for the most scrumptious results.
@lifeinthesouth.co
By Mariza Ebersohn
South African food stylist and blogger Mariza Ebersohn is a wife and mother of two children who currently resides in the South of France. She is enthusiastic about using nutritious ingredients, producing simple, stylish meals, and adapting some of her favourite South African recipes to make them plant-based.
This passion began while overseas, where she was inspired to find healthy alternatives, especially in a foreign country where home comforts in the form of warm malva pudding or bobotie sausage rolls were few and far between. “I couldn't really express myself as freely as I wanted to until I became plant-based. My diet seemed very niche compared to how I ate growing up in a household where ‘boerekos’ was the norm, so to me, it was a breath of fresh air to be able to adapt my childhood favourites to my liking,” - and with that, the idea for her blog, Life In The South, began to manifest.
@ellenfisher
By Ellen Fisher
Family vlogger Ellen Fisher documents her island life living in beautiful Hawaii with her husband and four adorable children. From home-schooling young children to gardening, living off the land and practising ethical veganism and sustainability, her content focuses on the aspects of veganism people often ignore. Ellen has been vegan for over 13 years, had four wonderfully healthy vegan pregnancies and home births, and is raising her kids to be vegan too.
From serving up dishes no toddler would turn their nose up to to whipping up birthday party treats for the neighbourhood kids to enjoy, if you’re looking for guidance and inspiration as a parent aiming to raise happy, healthy children, look no further than Ellen Fisher. She also has a range of E-books available, with the latest one focussing on “cravings”. In an Instagram post, she shared, “I turned classic cravings and comfort foods into whole foods plant-based dishes that are not only delicious but healthy, too. Each recipe is filled with vibrant plant foods for health and wellness in both body and mind.”
@jamieoliver
By Jamie Oliver
British chef, restaurateur, and cookbook author, Jamie Oliver is as passionate about whipping up plant-based food alternatives as he is about sustainability and wholesome meals. The man behind revolutionising UK school lunches for the better transforms his Instagram live videos and reels to boast an array of veganised recipes in honour of Meat-Free Mondays as well as World Vegan Month.
Oliver also has a range of helpful tips available on his website to help transform dishes into plant-based, including egg and meat alternatives, as well as hacks for preparing vegan gravy, enticing sides and rich, creamy desserts.
@bosh.tv
By Ian and Henry Firth
BOSH! have a strong desire to demonstrate to the rest of the world how simple it is to be plant-based. There are two brothers behind the brand. Henry is an at-home chef who is a late but passionate convert to the joys of veganism. Once a staunch meat-eater (and nay-sayer about the whole vegan thing), he is now positively evangelical about the joys of living life on the veg.
Ian is the creative drive behind their recipes and is passionate about sustainable living and, above all else, superior flavour. Whether you're wanting to change your whole eating philosophy or just need some meat-free Monday inspiration, they've got you covered.
@cocoverdevegan
By Cecilia Flores
Cecilia is a vegan chef who specialises in veganising classic Latino dishes. Celebrated in the community for being the queen of a veggie barbecue, her saucy burger patties and faux cabbage ribs look good enough to sink your teeth into. Working tirelessly to perfect every recipe, she always captions every post with a lengthy paragraph explaining the journey of the latest dish. Colour, flavour and wholesomeness are what her food is about.
rachelama_
By Rachel Ama
Rachel Ama is a well-known vegan YouTuber, blogger, and author of the cookbook, Rachel Ama's Vegan Eats. Her cooking hacks are phenomenal for newbies who need to hone in on their kitchen skills. But, if you’re looking for something more in-depth, her YouTube videos are longer-length and offer some of the most informative and entertaining content that’s all freely available.
Rachel is also a new mom and also previously discussed her prenatal adventure as well as her Covid experience, both rather unique experiences if you’re a vegan that has to screen ingredients lists on vitamins and be careful to nourish your body on a plant-based diet.
This article first appeared in Sunday Insider, November 21, 2021