‘A drizzle, a dollop and crunch’: The secret to a plant-based diet

I I grew up in a multicultural family – my father is Norwegian, my mother is Bulgarian and Danish – and I spent my early years in Tanzania, where, in the 1980s, cooked food did not exist. If we wanted a pizza, we made everything – from the base to the sauce – ourselves.

My mother made fresh butter and yogurt, and I spent a lot of time with my “green thumb” grandmother who lived in Sweden. When we weren’t at the local farmers market, we were in the garden, picking, or making seasonal jams. So this hands-on approach to food grew in me.

My transition to a plant-based lifestyle began when I started running a wellness program in the south of Spain, where I was diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome and endometriosis. I realized that what I was eating was affecting my health and mind a lot.

I then moved to London and wrote my first cookbook, Happy Food, and started cooking and running my Retreat Chef school.

Everyone is different, but I think it can help everyone’s health to include more plants in their diet. The more variety, color, whole foods and fruits and vegetables you eat, the better for you in the long run.

There are many good tools that are not used properly. There is a world of gluten-free plants, such as buckwheat, millet, teff, quinoa, which are nutritious and not talked about enough. There are over 40,000 varieties of rice cultivated but most of us only know five or six varieties. Even millet, for example, which is a small grain, and often what I call “budgie food”, is an insignificant ingredient that we should include in our dishes.

The “free” industry has started, and while it’s great for those looking for a different kind of food, unfortunately the variety offered includes a lot of processed products. But it is very important that we try to use as many different products as possible. You must have 30 types of vegetables per week, such as peppers, spices and lentils.

If you are new to a plant-based diet or want to incorporate it into your life, the first thing I recommend is to sign up for a new fruit and vegetable box. There are many to choose from, they introduce you to produce that you might not normally buy, and they will encourage you to “think outside the box” in the kitchen.

Contrary to popular belief, eating a plant-based diet does not mean eating less. In fact, you should eat larger portions. You also don’t have to give up animal products completely. If everyone ate more plant foods at home and saved animal products for special occasions, this would be an important step in the right direction.

Ten years ago, it was a “thing” to visit a restaurant that was vegan and plant-based. Now some people won’t touch vegan food out of pure protest. But I think the problem today is that there is a huge emphasis on writing, which is very embarrassing, and this stops people.

If you’re making hummus dip with caramelised onions, you don’t need to buy it vegan. We need to start calling dishes what they are.

The belief that plant-based foods are unhealthy is a common misconception. There are many ways to transform your dishes at home. What I love most about cooking from scratch is that it gives you control over what goes into your dishes and allows you to create meals that make you feel good. The best plant-based foods are fuss-free, simple, easy, inexpensive, and speak for themselves.

My favorite thing about working at a resort is cooking with seasonal and local produce. I always visit the farmer’s market or contact the local producer of the “hero” ingredients of the area.

At home I like to cook by raiding the fridge. I like to take everything out of my fridge, including the little sad vegetables that have been left out all week, and make something delicious. Usually there is something like curry or stir fry. Although it can be a challenge to put everything together, most of the time, these are my creative and delicious meals.

What I teach is the principle of adding “liquid, pop and crunch” to plant-based dishes. This may sound sweet, but think of pumpkin soup – it’s a classic but with one side. Now imagine a soup like roasted pumpkin seeds, drizzled with pesto, and a dollop of yogurt. Smart, right?

By adding these ingredients and flavors to regular dishes, you can elevate your plant-based recipes to another level.