Winter is now upon us, and the ovens, slow cookers, crock pots and other implements of hot cooking get pulled out of cupboards and switched on. These offer warm, delicious comfort food for long winter nights.

There may be an odd salad day, but most people (especially older people) prefer to have hot meals on cold winter evenings.

However, this is where we can get a little bit lackadaisical when creating nourishing, nutritious meals. Hot meals can be more challenging for those new to vegan foods. My generation was brought up on winter roasts, stews and casseroles which all included meat. Switching to plant-based foods may pose a dilemma when recreating those warm, rich aromatic dishes in a vegan version.

Let me reassure you. It can be done. And the beauty is that removing animal protein from the menu will reward your good health. 

You can create the roast meal by making a lentil or nut loaf and basting it to perfection. You will find a full-bodied vegan ‘beef’ stock in your local supermarket, which will help add to the flavour. As you are cooking your loaf, you can roast the vegetables at the same time. With a casserole, you can use beans, pre-baked tempeh or tofu chunks instead of the usual meat, and lentils or chickpeas always go well with stews.

Warming winter soups won’t go amiss, and rather than using animal bones to create your stock, try roasting chopped vegetables with their skins, garlic, herbs, dried mushrooms and some kombu mixed with white miso. Once roasted, put it all into a large pot of water to reduce, then strain. This makes a flavourful broth for your soups, and you can keep it in the fridge for future dishes. For a creamed soup, use cashews blended with your broth!

Remember your greens—and plenty of them. Go down the freezer aisle and get the spinach, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts. These veggies are very nutritious and snap-frozen at harvest time. 

With the long nights and the desire for warmth and comfort, try getting creative with your meals. Make some of the recipes from this magazine, or search online for the vegan version of your beloved favourites; they’re out there!

We also tend to close ourselves away in Winter, choosing to watch TV rather than go out to be with others. We are social animals and need to be part of a community, tribe, or family. It’s in our nature to connect and interact with others, and we thrive because it gives us a sense of belonging and identity.

So make sure you get out and about (outside the work environment), where you can laugh and enjoy being with like-minded people. Watch out for events happening nearby, put on your warm coat and scarf and go – it will chase away any winter blues you may have and keep you young at heart.

Until next time…