Meatless Monday
Have you watched the Netflix documentary The Game Changers? The film follows Special Forces trainer and The Ultimate Fighter winner James Wilks, who goes on a search to find the most optimal human performance diet. His findings? That meat is not a necessary component in a high-performance diet. According to the documentary, eating a plant-based diet can provide you all the nutrition necessary to provide optimal results at the gym, on the track and at home, living your day-to-day life.
The documentary comes at a time when people are looking for more plant-based alternatives but may still have questions about how to keep a nutritionally balanced plate or where to find a variety of plant-based recipes. So, we decided to round up a few of our favourite meatless recipes and give you some resources for if you’d like to try incorporating plant-based foods into your eating routine. (Which doesn’t mean just eating more salad!)
Recipes
Love ramen? Check out this Vegan Ramen recipe. But before you get started, pick up some fresh local ramen from Prontissima Pasta.
This Chinese specialty is a delicious treat: Green Onion Pancakes. Check your local farmer’s market for fresh scallions/green onions.
Zucchini Chickpea Curry is the perfect recipe to whip up when you need some filling warmth during the cold winter months.
And finally, Saag Paneer is a vegetarian option that might just be one of our favourites.
Cookbooks
If you’ve already tried out these recipes and are hungry for more, check out these cookbooks for more inspiration:
· Cooks Illustrated Vegan for Everyone
For some local inspiration, check out www.thesimplegreen.com for many plant-based recipes. Or, pick up a copy of Vegan Comfort Recipes and The Plant-based Foodie – Vancouver, which were also written by B.C. authors.
Products
There are a few things you might find handy to have around the kitchen if you’re planning to do some long-term plant-based cooking. 
Find a wide assortment of knives for all the different kinds of slicing and dicing you’ll be doing at Perch Kitchen in Courtenay. (And some pretty serving dishes to serve your delicious masterpieces on!)
You can find pretty much anything at Maison Cookware and Bakeware, including mandolines and spiralizers, which will make you feel like a real professional in your own kitchen.
Do you have a favourite plant-based recipe? Tag us in your favourite meatless recipes on social media (@ediblevanisle).
