Rachel Ama - Rachel Ama’s Vegan Eats: Tasty Plant-Based Recipes for Every Day

Thank you for buying my first book! I cant believe its finally out there, and that it is full of all of my favourite flavours and recipes. In fact its full of all of my favourite things which (as some of you may already know) are mainly either connected to food or music.

Since my journey into cooking and eating vegan food began, I have been on a mission to create recipes that are full of flavour, texture, spice and comfort. Thats the way I like to cook the way I was brought up to eat and enjoy food and I didnt want that to change just because I was no longer eating animal products.

So how did this all begin for me? I grew up in a relatively health-conscious household and although I still opted for trips to KFC and chicken shops after school, things like fizzy drinks, sweets and processed foods were not a frequent feature in my house. Luckily for me, although my mum was running her business as we were growing up she still made time to cook us meals from scratch (thank you Mum!), with maybe a take-out on a Friday here and there shed call it her break from the kitchen. Around 10 or so years ago my mum got even more into nutrition and went on to study it, which meant that the variety of fresh fruits and vegetables and seeds in my house was increasing by the day. I used to call her juices her potions because they were always made with things Id never heard of, especially her green, sometimes brown, ones. And then there were all these different powders which she added to her food, such as moringa and baobab, for added vitamins and nutrients. But we still ate meat, fish and dairy.

As a teenager I started struggling with digestive problems and really intense stomach pains to the point where Id be out with friends and have to go home when Id just cry from the pain. But it wasnt until I went to university where I went on a dairy overload think pasta coated in cheese, lots of cheese, and pizzas dripping in cheese that I started to get really unwell. My digestion was awful and with that I had a list of painful problems that doctors and multiple specialists couldnt figure out. Luckily Mum, my holistic health guru, suggested that I was lactose intolerant. I was really hoping she was wrong and it wasnt dairy causing the problems, as 10 years ago all the dairy-free alternatives werent around and I loved hot chocolate and cheese! However, I was in so much pain and agony that I knew Id do anything to figure out the cause. So I completely cut out dairy from my diet and within a few months my body really started to heal it was genuinely amazing.

A few years later I found myself curious about vegan diets as Id heard about them briefly in conversations here and there. The conversations were usually like,

You heard of the vegan thing?

Yeah, I dont really get it, chicken is great.

Yeah, me either

And thats as far as the general group chats would go, but I was still slightly intrigued as I didnt know any vegans or really understand why people went vegan.

Not long after, I was talking to someone about my vegan curiosity and how we both didnt quite understand it as a lifestyle choice. Theyd seen some documentaries and suggested them to me, and thanks to Netflix, I went on a documentary spiral looking at animal farming and I was immediately heartbroken. Ive always considered myself an animal lover, having had pets all of my life, but Id never made the association between my pets, animals and the food I ate. Id always been taught and believed that meat, fish and dairy were human fuel and that it was normal and natural to eat them. But after watching multiple documentaries my perspective changed. Id finally seen what really happens in factories and how my KFC chicken wings after school had ended up on my plate, and I was completely devastated. The next day I went vegan.

I often get asked if I found the switch hard, and honestly, it felt natural and normal for me, but I know it doesnt feel that way for everyone. Id already been surrounded by so many different nutrient-rich foods (thanks Mum), and Id already stopped eating dairy, so all I needed to cut out was fish and meat.

The thing I did struggle with at the beginning was eating enough food; I found myself hungry at night, which was really annoying. A hangry Rachel isnt that fun to be around. I was eating so many vegetables but I wasnt getting enough calories. I soon realised that I needed to add more filling foods with a variety of legumes, grains, nuts and seeds into my meals to fuel my body properly. Once Id done this problem solved!

My initial go-tos were vegan pesto pasta with cherry tomatoes, or hummus and pitta. I already loved these meals, plus theyre versatile as you can keep them basic or make them fancy by adding more vegetables and nuts. I love hummus in a pitta with grilled vegetables and fresh salad sandwiches yum but I was excited to see what other meals I could create. So what really changed for me when I became vegan was this new passion and enthusiasm I developed around cooking. I asked myself how I could continue to make piff (peng/banging/delicious) food but without the meat and fish and dairy and it became my mission.

As well as having African, Welsh and Caribbean roots, growing up in London I was surrounded by different cultures and cuisines. When I went vegan, I wanted to continue to eat all the flavours and meals that I used to love, so I started experimenting with the same seasonings and spices but using plant-based food. I also looked at how I could cook vegetables in different ways to bring out a variety of textures. My favourite way to create meals is to use whole, plant-based foods with as many colours as possible the more colour the greater the variety of nutrients, textures and flavours. Also, a beige plate was never my kind of plate.

When I first went vegan I would look on YouTube for inspiration but I didnt find anyone I could relate to, or who cooked the foods I was used to eating. I really wanted to share how much I was loving my vegan food with my friends and family and convince them it was more than just kale and celery, which is what they thought! so that is why I started sharing recipes publicly. I really do believe that plant-based eating is good for the animals, our health and the environment. So I decided that my own little branch of activism would be to share recipes on YouTube to help or inspire anyone thinking about plant-based eating who wasnt sure what food to make. I also hoped to give long-term vegans some more ideas. Now, with this book, I get to share over 100 vegan recipes with you!

The book really translates my flavour palate through a range of plant-based recipes. There are everyday essential classics such as lasagne, curries and stews that are quick and easy to make for your weekday meals. Youll find staple lunches like a jacket potato and chuna, which is great for your friends that miss their tuna trust me, my version tastes amazing and really flavoursome sandwiches, salads and wraps that can also be prepped in advance for lunch the next day. Ive also put in some really delicious recipes that take inspiration from typical meat dishes but are made with vegetables instead. Things like my Spiced Griddled Aubergine Kebabs (see ) with sweet plantain and fresh slaw for all the Caribbean feels. I love the way Caribbean flavours and spices make my kitchen smell; they remind me of my grandmas house and she was an incredible cook. I wish I could share the kitchen with her now.