Vegan tacos for Veganuary

Have you heard of Veganuary? It’s a month-long awareness-raising initiative, somewhat akin to Movember, but this one is geared toward the animal-conscious, encouraging people to go vegan for the first month of the year. There are all kinds of people going vegan, not just to be more responsible, environmentally conscious consumers, but to be healthy too. Plant-based eating is great for your health and your waistline, and  that makes January an excellent time to give vegan eating a try.

There are many health benefits associated with eating a vegan diet. Some research has shown reduced risk of heart disease and high blood pressure with vegan diets, and lower rates of certain types of cancer. It’s not all about giving up animal products (though there is some advantage to eating less red or processed meats); it’s largely about the benefits of eating more whole foods—fruits, veggies, nuts and seeds, complete with all the antioxidants and phytonutrients that come with them. Since vegans avoid many ingredients, they are also likely to avoid many processed foods and more likely to eat fresh, which is always better for your body.

But yes, there are some concerns: Though you can get plenty of protein from beans, nuts, grains and green veggies, and lots of iron from beans and spinach, vitamin B12 is a tough vitamin to get, and many vegans and vegetarians find they need to take supplements.

If you’re looking to go vegan—for a few weeks or permanently—there are all kinds of resources out there to help you make the transition. There are tons of recipe books with delicious, healthy vegan ideas—Vegan Vitality by Karina Inkster and But I Could Never Go Vegan by Kristy Turner, to name a couple. And there are even apps to give you food ideas on the go. Forks Over Knives, the maker of the documentary about the benefits of plant-based diets, has an app for Healthy Recipes and Delicious Meals Made Easy. In addition to 160 recipes, it has shopping lists and tips for a plant-based lifestyle.

Still skeptical about going vegan? Try this delicious recipe from the Forks Over Knives app.

Spinach-Potato Tacos

(Makes 4 tacos; about 6 cups filling)

2 large yukon gold potatoes, scrubbed and cut into small dice

1 (10-ounce) package frozen spinach, thawed

1 large onion, diced

1 medium poblano pepper, seeded and diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tsp ground cumin

1 cup unsweetened, unflavored plant milk (such as rice, soy or almond milk)

3 tbsp nutritional yeast

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

12 corn tortillas

1⁄2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Place the potatoes in a medium saucepan and add water to cover. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, until the potatoes are tender when pierced with the tip of a sharp knife, 10 to 12 minutes. Drain well and set aside.

Meanwhile, lay a clean kitchen towel or several layers of paper towel on the counter and place the thawed spinach at the bottom of one short end. Roll up the spinach in the towel and, holding it over the sink, twist either end of the roll to squeeze out as much liquid from the spinach as you can. Unroll and set aside.

In a large skillet, cook the onion and poblano pepper over medium heat, stirring occasionally and adding water 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time as needed to keep the vegetables from sticking, until softened, 7 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cumin and cook until fragrant, about1 minute.

Add the reserved spinach and potatoes along with the plant milk and nutritional yeast. Season to taste with salt and pepper and cook until heated through, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Meanwhile, heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add as many corn tortillas to the pan as will fit in a single layer and heat for a few minutes to warm the tortillas through. Remove them from the pan and set them aside, covered with a clean kitchen towel to keep warm. Repeat with the remaining tortillas.

To serve, place the tortillas on individual serving plates or a large platter and divide the potato mixture among them, spooning it onto the center of each. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve.

What a delicious way to start the year!

(Photography: Courtesy of Forks Over Knives)