Veganism? Yeah, thanks to Bey and Jay's brief adoption of it, it's deffo one of those 'things' people are banging on about right now. We spoke to vegan chef Isa Chandra Moskovitz for tips on how to give the meat-'n'-animal-products-free lifestyle a go. She even gave us a recipe for her island bean burgers. She’s nice like that.
So, what sort of things do you need to stock up on big style before you jump on the good ship vegan? 'I always have lentils, chickpeas, cashews, coconut milk, quinoa, whole grain pastas, and every spice under the sun. It depends on what you love!' says Isa. 'If you're a Mediterranean lover, you might want to keep olives and capers. For Thai; curry pastes and rice noodles. And so on. For baking, the usual suspects: really great cocoa, pure vanilla extract, your favorite cinnamon, oats and add-ins like raisins and chocolate chips. Of course I always have loads of fresh veggies in the fridge: kale, cauliflower, brussel sprouts to name a few.' Sounds doable... but what about those people that say you'll be missing out on protein? 'Protein is everywhere!' Isa explains, 'It is simply amino acids that are found in most foods, even vegetables. Some vegan foods that are high in protein are nuts and nut butters, legumes, tofu, tempeh, and quinoa.'
And Jay Z and Beyoncé going vegan – does that mean *everyone's *jumping on the bandwagon now? 'They actually have already abandoned veganism. Whatever the case, it got the word "vegan" out there so that was good. I hope more people will stick to it for more than 22 days!'
We'll have a go, Isa! Here's that recipe for her scrumptious bean burgers.
For the burgers:
1 (15–ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained (1 ½ cups)
1 (15–ounce) can black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained (1 ½ cups)
½ cup finely chopped red bell pepper
1 cup finely chopped scallions
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons Jamaican curry powder
1 teaspoon salt
¼ cup vegetable broth
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
1 cup Panko breadcrumbs
For the Nectarine Salsa:
2 nectarines, diced into ¼in pieces
¼ cup finely diced red onion
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 jalapeño, seeded and finely chopped
1 teaspoon agave nectar
Olive oil, for spraying or brushing the pan
8 burger buns
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Prepare the burgers:
In a medium bowl, use a small potato masher (or a strong fork) to mash the black beans and black-eyed peas. They should be good and mushy but not totally puréed, with a few beans still identifiable in the mix.
Add the red pepper, scallions, cilantro, curry powder, salt, broth, and lime juice and mix well. Mix in the Panko until it all holds together. Refrigerate for 10 minutes or so, or until the salsa is ready.
Prepare the salsa:
Simply mix everything together in a bowl!
Cook the burgers:
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spray or brush with oil. Form the burger mixture into eight patties that are about 1in thick. Spray or brush with a little more oil and bake for 15 minutes. Flip the burgers and bake for 12 to 15 more minutes, until nicely browned.
Stuff each burger into a bun and top with salsa. Serve away!
Isa Does ItIsa Does It* by Isa Chandra Moskowitz is published by Sphere, £20.*
**Follow Jess on Twitter **@jess_commons@jess_commons
This article originally appeared on The Debrief.