As we kick off the start of 2021, many of us have reflected on the past, challenging year and how optimistic we are for the future, starting with making this year better. Some may even agree in deciding to seal the deal on that excitement with concrete New Year's resolutions or even just going with the flow and dipping a toe into new habits to aid our bodies recovery, emotional and mental wellness.
It's less than a week into the new decade, and there's been more comfort eating on my part than what I would allow in a whole month. So when I got sick with COVID last week - that's right, I'm still slowly recovering in isolation, hence initially halting all communication and creativity because I literally couldn't function with my symptoms being fatigue and loss of taste and smell. Having come through the worse part of the experience, I can look back and agree I ate many different things to desperately try and regain my sense of taste and smell. So my veganary stint had failed as of yesterday when I forced myself to eat a lamb shank drenched in red to see if I could at least taste some flavours. For those of you who know me well, I love food so much and to be able to taste everything is something I highly value.
Anyway, I did cook a delicious vegan side dish, and that's what I'm here to share with you, to help you on your conscious-eating journey, whilst also saying it's ok to mix and match what you eat in moderation, you don't have to compromise on taste!
While many may argue that following a healthy and well-balanced diet is super easy, I hold my hand up to testify as a witness and from personal experience, it's a lot harder than people make out. I believe its more a mixture of being in the right headspace, surrounding environment and adequate access to nutritious food instead of the rubbish that leaves you feeling the short-term pleasures, but bloated and fatigued after effects, much like 2020 felt for us all!
On a brighter note (literally), this delicious Vegan Potato Dauphinoise Gratin can either be a side dish or magnificent main, and is so easy to make. For the nutritional counters it contains a low 208 calories, and you can add vegetables to it, I sometimes add mushrooms. It's so filling, its best served in small to medium portions as it can last for a couple of days. What's even better is that it includes all the flavour a traditional Potato dish has, but without the added calories.
Now I know you're probably just as excited as I am about this dish! It only takes 75 minutes to whip up this tasty golden brown and crispy on the top Potato Dauphinoise Gratin, with thin layers of fluffy potatoes enveloped in a luxuriously creamy sauce.
Simply set aside 15 minutes for the prep work and allow your dish to cook for at least an hour, to soak in all the seasonal flavour!
So I hope you enjoy this hearty and healthy meal and let me know what you think!