HOW TO GET YOUR KIDS TO ENJOY VEGAN FOOD

SACHA VAN NIEKERK

VEGAN CHICKPEA NUGGETS

Ingredients:

For the chickpea base

1 can (420g) chickpeas

40g (⅓ cup) rolled oats

30g (2 tbs) flax seeds

5ml (1 tsp) onion powder

½ teaspoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon Italian dried herbs

pinch of salt and pepper

For the crumbs ½ cup oat milk or plant milk of choice

½ cup wholegrain breadcrumbs/ quinoa flakes

Method:

Pre-heat the oven to 185°C and line a baking tray with parchment paper. Drain and rinse your chickpeas and add them to a food processor or highspeed blender. Add in the oats, flax seeds, onion and garlic powder, Italian herbs, salt and pepper and pulse to blend until well combined and chickpeas are finely cut. Do not over blend. In 2 separate small bowls, place the breadcrumbs and oat milk and form a nugget size chickpea dough with your hands. Dip one at a time in the oat milk then in the breadcrumbs, coating both sides. Then place on the baking tray. Bake for 10-15 minutes, turning them halfway.

FOR a child whose family eats vegan at home, lentils as a substitute for the mince in shepherd’s pie, quinoa burgers and tofu in every form are the norm at mealtimes. Issues about the somewhat restrictive diet only arise once the child starts attending school and makes friends outside of their familial bubble.

From eyeing lunch boxes filled with chocolate spread sarmies, chicken nuggets and cheeseburgers to having to turn down birthday cake, sweets, biscuits and more at parties, their disappointment is palpable.

Fortunately, vegan cuisine has come a long way. Big-name grocery stores have aisles stocked with all things deliciously vegan and more restaurants are catering for vegans.

Social media is exploding with mouth-watering vegan content shared by chefs and at-home cooks.

All this has made it easier to create meals that will entice tots, tweens and even teens.

If your kids have any doubt that vegan food is as delicious as any other kind, perhaps whipping up one of these dishes will help to change their minds.

PEANUT BUTTER SNICKERS BARS

Salty, sweet, gooey and chewy, these chocolate-coated bars are everything you’re looking for in an after-school or lunchbox snack. Made at home with fresh ingredients, they’re not healthier than the store-bought variety.

Ingredients:

For the base layer

120g almond meal

75g smooth peanut butter

30g maple syrup

For the filling

65g smooth peanut butter

20g coconut oil

70g salted peanuts

For the coating

180g dark chocolate

20g coconut oil

Method:

In a bowl combine the almond meal with peanut butter and maple syrup. Mix together until it sticks. Press the mixture into a loaf pan or tray. You don’t want the base layer to be too thick otherwise it will be hard to coat later, so use a long container that will allow you to spread it out evenly without going too thick. Slightly melt the peanut butter with the coconut oil and mix. Pour on top of the base layer.

Sprinkle with the salted peanuts and gently press them in. Freeze for 1 hour.

Melt the dark chocolate and coconut oil using the broiler method. Keep stirring and let the chocolate cool. In the meantime, remove the mix from the freezer and slice it into 8 bars. I find heating the knife helps cut it nicely. Coat each bar in the melted chocolate, let the excess chocolate drip off and place on a tray lined with baking paper.

Repeat with all bars. Use any remaining chocolate to drizzle over the top. Place in the freezer for 10 minutes to set.