Mini Savoury Vegan Cheese and Marmite Palmiers

• Ingredients
  • 1 sheet vegan puff pastry (11 x 9 inches – I use Jus Rol)
  • 30 grams (1/2 cup) nutritional yeast
  • 10 millilitres (1 teaspoon) fresh lemon juice
  • 2 teaspoons yeast extract (e.g. Natex, Marmite, etc…)
  • Packed 1/2 cup melty style cheddar Sheese

• Directions/Method
  1. Mash the nutritional yeast, lemon juice, and yeast extract together in a small bowl. Lay the pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface and spread the paste over the dough as close to the edges as possible. Make sure you work with the dough straight out of the fridge so it’s as cold as possible. Sprinkle the grated Sheese evenly over the pastry.
  2. Slowly and tightly roll one of the long edges into the centre of the pastry. Do the same on the other side. If the dough isn’t staying together in the middle, brush a little bit of non dairy milk along the edges of the rolls and push them gently together. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour.
  3. Preheat the oven to 200 Celcius (400 F).
  4. Slice the dough into 1/4 to 1/2 inch pieces and cook on a cookie sheet or baking tray for 8-10 minutes. Turn the palmiers over and bake for a further 8-10 minutes, or until golden.
  5. Eat hot or cold!

• Syrup Ingredients
  • 180 ml (3/4 cup) water
  • Juice and zest of 1 lemon
  • 500 g (2 1/4 c) sugar
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp ground ginger

• Doughnut Ingredients
  • 325 g (2 1/3 cups) flour
  • 2 tbsp corn flour
  • 1 tbsp baking powder
  • scant 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 c (approx 55 g) margarine
  • 120 ml (1/2 c) non-dairy milk
  • 1/4 tsp nutmeg (optional)

• Directions/Method
  1. First make the syrup by adding all of the syrup ingredients to a medium saucepan and bringing to the boil until the sugar has dissolved. This should only take a few minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool. Refrigerate for a few hours or overnight until very cold.
  2. To make the dough sift the flour, salt, baking powder, corn flour, and nutmeg (if using) together into a large bowl. Add the margarine in small chunks and mix into the flour lightly with your fingers, until it looks like crumbs and there are no big chunks of margarine left floating around.
  3. Add the non dairy milk and stir with a wooden spoon to bring the flour and liquid together. Switch to using your hands and knead the dough for a few minutes, or until smooth and stretchy (you can add a splash more milk if need be). Wrap in cling film and leave to rest for an hour or two.
  4. Heat a few inches of vegetable oil to 180 degrees C.
  5. Roll the dough out to just under 1/4 inch in thickness and cut into approximate 1/2 inch x 4 inch pieces. Take three strips and pinch them together at one end, braiding the strands together and pinching to seal at the other end. You can make the koeksisters longer if so desired.
  6. Careful not to overcrowd whatever you’re using to deep fry in, place some of the koeksisters in the hot oil and fry until golden (2-3 minutes approximately). Remove from the oil with tongs or a slatted spoon and immediately plunge into the cold syrup and then place in a large 9 x13 inch dish. Continue until all the doughnuts are cooked and pour the remaining syrup over top.
  7. Refrigerate and serve cold or at room temperature. Either way the koeksisters are best if they’ve been left in the syrup for awhile.

Mayonnaise and Chutney Baked Tofu

• Ingredients
  • 400 g firm pressed tofu
  • (30 ml) 2 tbsp vegetable oil, divided
  • (15 ml) 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • (15 ml + 10 ml) 1 tbsp + 2 tsp vegan Worcestershire sauce, divided
  • 130 g (1 cup) chopped onion
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 80 ml (1/3 cup) mango chutney
  • 80 ml (1/3 cup) vegan mayonnaise

• Directions/Method
  1. Mix 1 tbsp of the oil and 1 tbsp of Worcestershire with the soy sauce in an oven proof dish. Coat the tofu on both sides and bake for 10 minutes at 190 C (375 F). Flip the tofu pieces over and bake for another ten minutes.
  2. Meanwhile heat the other tablespoon of oil over medium heat and fry the onion for about 10-15 minutes until lightly browned. Add garlic and cook one more minute.
  3. Tip the fried onion into a medium bowl and mix with the mayo, chutney, and the remaining 2 teaspoons of worcestershire. Pour the sauce over the tofu and bake for another 30 minutes.

Mini Peppermint Crisps

• Ingredients
  • 100 ml (1/3 cup + 1 tbsp + 1 tsp) CremoVita or Soyatoo boxed cream
  • 30 ml (2 tbsp) non dairy milk
  • 20 g (2 tbsp) tapioca starch
  • 30 ml (2 tbsp) brown rice syrup
  • 2 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla (or 1/4 tsp vanilla and 1/4 tsp mint depending on preference)
  • a couple pinches of salt
  • 10-12 vegan coconut based biscuits
  • 60 g mint chocolate, grated or cut finely

• Directions/Method
  1. Combine the milk and tapioca starch in a small saucepan and whisk together until combined. Whisk in brown rice syrup, sugar, and vanilla. Heat over medium until it thickens considerably and mix in the salt. Set aside to cool for 15 minutes.
  2. Whip the cream up with a stand mixer or hand blender (or whisk – I’m sure it’ll work but I’m too lazy). Spoon the caramel in and whip together until completely blended.
  3. As you can see in the picture above, I used two dessert bowls but you can divvy it up in ramekins or whatever you’d like. Just layer biscuits, then cream, then mint chocolate and repeat!
  4. Refrigerate for several hours for the cream to firm up and soak through the cookies a bit before serving.

Vegan Pap Tert

• Tempeh Bacon Stuff Ingredients
  • 250 g tempeh
  • 15 ml (1 tbsp) liquid smoke
  • 15 ml (1 tbsp) soy sauce
  • 15 ml (1 tbsp) maple syrup
  • 1/4 tsp cumin powder
  • 1 heaped tbsp rice flour (only if deep frying)

• Sauce Ingredients
  • 15 ml (1 tbsp) olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 200 g sliced button mushrooms
  • 80 ml (1/3 cup) red wine
  • 1 tsp dried basil
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp sugar
  • 1/4 tsp cumin powder
  • 400 g tin of chopped tomatoes
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste

• Polenta Ingredients
  • 900 ml (3 3/4 cups) vegetable stock
  • 1/4 heaped tsp cumin powder
  • 1/4 heaped tsp dried thyme
  • 225 g (1 1/2 cups) polenta flour
  • 1-2 cups melty vegan cheese for topping

• Directions/Method
  1. Grease a medium casserole dish and preheat the oven to 160 degrees Celsius (325 F).
  2. First prepare the tempeh. You’ve got two options: deep fry or steam (I opt for the former). If you’re going down the steaming route, steam the tempeh for ten minutes and then crumble or cut into small dice. Mix the rest of the tempeh bacon ingredients together (except the rice flour – omit that unless deep frying) and pour over the tempeh, mixing through.
  3. If you’re going down the deep fry route, do the same as above but you can skip the steaming. Also be sure to add in the rice flour (it makes the tempeh crispier and appears to soak up a tad less oil). Heat a couple of inches of oil to medium high and fry the tempeh in batches until golden brown. Remove with a metal mesh spoon and allow to drain on kitchen roll.
  4. Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan and sauté the onion and garlic over medium heat for about 5 minutes, after the onions get a little transparent but before stuff starts burning. Add the mushrooms and cook another minute before chucking in the wine, basil, salt, sugar, and cumin. After a minute or so most of the wine will have disappeared, and that’s your cue to stir in the tinned tomatoes and paste. Simmer for 15 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened quite a bit.
  5. Moving on to the polenta, add the cumin and thyme to the stock in a medium saucepan and heat to somewhere around medium. Whisk in the polenta flour and continue to whisk until it thickens. You can switch to a wooden spoon if it’s doing your wrists in (and it will because this is a thick polenta).
  6. Visually divide the polenta into three portions and spread 1/3 in the bottom of the casserole dish. Use the back of a wet spoon to help spread it out if it’s too clumpy and solid. Spoon half of the tempeh bacon bits over and half of the sauce, followed by another layer of polenta. Repeat with the remaining tempeh and sauce and tuck it in with that final 1/3 of the polenta on top.
  7. Cover with the vegan cheese and pop in the oven for half an hour. Leave it to sit for ten minutes before serving (not really. I just feel like a responsible grown up saying that, but seriously. Who actually waits?)

Veganised No Fuss Melktert

• Ingredients
  • 500 ml sweetened vanilla soy milk
  • 1 tbsp Bird’s custard powder
  • 3 tbsp corn flour
  • 350 g packet firm silken tofu (basically a mori nu carton)
  • 1/4 tsp cinnamon
  • Pinch or two of nutmeg
  • 1/8 tsp salt
  • 30 g (2 tbsp) non dairy butter
  • 20 g (2 tbsp) flour
  • 75 g sugar
  • 1 sheet puff pastry (approx 215 g – I use the jus rol sheets here in the UK)
  • cinnamon sugar for topping (optional)

• Directions/Method
  1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees C (400 F).
  2. Blend the first seven ingredients together in a liquidiser/blender (soy milk through salt) until smooth.
  3. Heat a medium sized saucepan with the butter in over medium high heat. When the butter is melted whisk in the flour. Pour the blended contents into the saucepan, whisking constantly.
  4. Keep whisking until the sauce thickens substantially. When it’s ready it’ll still be whiskable but a bit of a strain on the wrists.
  5. Lay the puff pastry sheet across a 7 x 10 inch oven proof dish, or something of similar proportions. Push it into the corners and let any extra hang over the sides. Pour the custard from the pan into the dish, smoothing the top over if it’s uneven at all.
  6. Bake for ten minutes. Then turn the heat down to 175 C (350 F) and bake for a further 20 minutes. The top of the tart will be a little cracked, still a bit wobbly, but set enough to not run all over the place.
  7. Allow to cool and serve cold. Dust it with some cinnamon sugar or cocoa if you want it to look fancy.

Vegetarian Chickpea Bunny Chow

• Ingredients
  • 3 tomatoes
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 2 tsp tomato paste
  • 2 tsp vegetable oil
  • 1 small onion, diced
  • 2 tsp minced garlic
  • 2 tsp finely grated ginger
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp garam masala
  • 1/2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1/2 tsp ground coriander
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
  • 1/4 tsp ground turmeric
  • A good pinch of cinnamon
  • 4 crusty rolls
  • One 400 g tin of chickpeas (240 g drained weight)
  • Fresh Coriander, to garnish (optional)

• Directions/Method
  1. In a large frying pan or a sauté pan, heat the oil to medium and fry the onion, garlic, and ginger for 5-8 minutes (or until the onion is a little transparent and your kitchen smells like heaven).
  2. While that’s frying, blend the tomato, tomato paste and water up in a liquidiser / blender. Strain the seeds and skins and stuff out through a mesh strainer (yes, this is my lazy way of avoiding skinning, seeding, and chopping tomatoes).
  3. Tip the salt and spices into the pan and stir to coat the onion. Cook for 30 seconds and pour in the tomato liquid.
  4. Simmer for five minutes before adding the drained chickpeas. Turn the heat down to medium low and cover the pan. Cook for 20 minutes.
  5. While that’s simmering away, cut the top off of the rolls (only a thin slice, maybe a centimetre or two) and dig the soft bread out of the roll. Leave a centimetre or so (guestimate) around the edges so when you pack the curry in the bread won’t go immediately soggy.
  6. After the chickpea curry is finished cooking, divide the mix between the rolls and spoon the curry inside to serve!

Pomegranate BBQ Okara Meatballs

• Meatball Ingredients
  • 135 g chopped onion
  • 3 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1 tbsp yeast extract (e.g. Natex)
  • 1 1/2 tbsp tomato ketchup
  • 1 1/2 tbsp vegan worcestershire
  • 200g fresh okara (as much liquid pressed out as possible before weighing)
  • 1/2 tsp dried mint
  • 1/4 tsp celery salt
  • 3 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
  • 1/4 tsp mixed spice
  • 160g vital wheat gluten
  • oil, for frying

• BBQ Sauce Ingredients
  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • 1-2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 2 tbsp pomegranate molasses
  • 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 1 tbsp brown sugar (add more if it’s too tangy)
  • 1/8 tsp cumin
  • 1/8 tsp coriander
  • 1 tsp liquid smoke
  • salt, to taste (about 1/8 tsp works for me)

• Directions/Method
  1. Blend the onion, garlic, yeast extract, ketchup, and worcestershire to a paste in a spice mill or small food processor. Tip it into a large bowl with the okara and the spices. Mix well. Knead the vital wheat gluten into the wet ingredients for a minute or two, or until it begins to look stringy.
  2. Form the dough into approximate tablespoon sized meatballs and don’t worry if they look like they’re falling apart a little- the gluten will bind better after steaming.
  3. Steam the meatballs for 30 minutes (my preferred method is in 3 tiers of bamboo steamers, but it doesn’t matter how you do it). Once finished steaming, allow them to cool and then refrigerate for at least a few hours (until properly cold).
  4. Prepare the pomegranate BBQ sauce in the meanwhile by frying the garlic in the olive oil for 30 seconds before adding the remaining sauce ingredients.
  5. To put everything together, heat some oil (a tablespoon or two) in a large frying pan to medium or medium high heat. Fry the meatballs until evenly(ish) browned and then stir in the BBQ sauce just to heat through before serving.

Tofu Steak Salad with Mango-Lime Dressing

• Tofu Steak Ingredients
  • 300 g (10.5 oz) firm tofu
  • 140 ml (1 c) vegetable broth
  • 60 ml (1/4 c) red wine
  • 60 ml (1/4) tomato juice
  • 10 ml (2 tsp) olive oil
  • 1 tbsp fresh minced sage
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 sprig fresh rosemary
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • 1 tsp yeast extract (e.g. Marmite or Natex)
  • 1 tsp onion granules
  • 1/2 tsp sugar
  • 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
  • 1 bay leaf

• Dressing Ingredients
  • 60 ml (1/4 c) mango juice
  • 15 ml (1 tbsp) freshly squeezed lime juice
  • 5 ml (1 tsp) soy sauce
  • 5 ml (1 tsp) extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tbsp finely diced shallots (about 4 small Asian ones)
  • 1 tsp chopped pickled sushi ginger
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1/2 tsp sri racha (add more to taste)
  • 1/2 tsp liquid sweetener (brown rice syrup, agave, sweet freedom, etc…)
  • 1/4 tsp dijon mustard
  • 1 tbsp fresh coriander (cilantro)

• Salad Ingredients
  • 60 g (four handfuls) rocket leaves
  • 160 g (8-10 large leaves) romaine lettuce, cut
  • 250 g 2-3 inch cut asparagus pieces
  • 1 large onion, cut in half and into wedges
  • 5 or 6 radishes, sliced
  • Extra coriander/cilantro, to garnish (optional)

• Directions/Method
  1. After pressing the tofu, slice it into six approximate 1/2 inch slabs, and then cut each slice corner to corner (to make triangles). Lay the slices in the casserole dish.
  2. Add all of the remaining tofu steak ingredients to a small saucepan and bring to the boil. Once it boils reduce the heat to  medium-low and simmer for 15 minutes.
  3. Strain the hot marinade over the casserole dish and leave the tofu to marinate in the broth for at least a couple of hours (or overnight).
  4. To make the dressing, blend all of the ingredients together using a spice mill, a pestle and mortar, or just cut everything up super tiny and leave the flavours to get jiggy with each other for awhile.
  5. Preheat a grill pan to medium heat, spray it with some oil, and slap the tofu pieces on. Cook them for 2-3 minutes on each side, or until you see the characteristic seered black marks (or “yum lines” as I call them).
  6. To cook the onion and asparagus, you can either fire up the wok or cook them on the same grill pan. Re-spray with some oil and pop ‘em on that hot surface, turning frequently to cook all sides (or if using a wok, stir fry them).
  7. To serve, place a couple of handfuls of lettuce on each plate, top with the cooked veg and radishes, followed by 4 slices of tofu per plate (make smaller portions for smaller sides). Drizzle dressing over to suit, and garnish with some roughly chopped coriander leaf.

Vegan Sausage and Aubergine Stuffed Shells

• Ingredients
  • 1 tbsp olive oil, divided
  • 175 g (6 1/4 oz) finely chopped veg sausages
  • 115 g (1 cup) chopped onions
  • 1 aubergine/eggplant, roasted and chopped.
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/4 cup okara (crumbled pressed firm tofu would work too)
  • 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
  • 255 g (9 oz) spinach leaves, blanced, drained, and chopped
  • 3 tbsp parmezano (or other cheese sub if you can’t source this)
  • 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 185 g (6.5 oz) pasta shells
  • 6 fresh tomatoes (with juices), peeled and seeded
  • 80 ml (1/3 cup) soy (or other non-dairy) cream
  • 2 tbsp chopped fresh basil
  • 70 g (2.5 oz) grated vegan cheese

• Directions/Method
  1. Heat 2 tsp of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Sauté the sausages for a few minutes and then tip in half of the onions and all of the aubergine/eggplant. Sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon of the salt over the contents of the pan and a pinch of the red pepper, stirring it all together and cooking for a further 5 minutes. Turn the heat down to medium and add half of the garlic. Cook for just a minute so the garlic doesn’t burn, then transfer the mix to a large bowl to cool.
  2. Meanwhile preheat the oven to 175 c (350 f) begin preparing the sauce by heating the remaining teaspoon of oil in a saucepan to medium high, and sauté the other half of the onion for 3-4 minutes, or until translucent. Chuck in the last bit of garlic and cook another minute before adding the tomatoes, 1/4 tsp salt, and the remaining red pepper flakes. Stir together and cook for 5 minutes. Mix the cream through the sauce and leave to simmer over medium heat for around 20 minutes, or until it reduces by a third and thickens a little.
  3. Bring a large pot of water to the boil and cook the pasta shells until al dente, generally around 10 minutes, but check the package instructions to get a more accurate idea. Lightly oil a medium casserole dish.
  4. Stir the okara, nutritional yeast, parmezano, lemon juice, and spinach into the sausage and aubergine jumble. Pack the pasta shells with as much as you can get in (you may still have a tiny bit of mix left, which serves as an appetiser since you still have nearly an hour to wait until dinner). Place the prepared shells in the casserole dish.
  5. Stir the basil through the tomato sauce and pour it evenly over it over the shells. Sprinkle with the grated cheese and cover the whole lot with foil. Pop in the oven for 35-40 minutes, then remove the foil and cook for a further 15 minutes to crisp the top a bit.
  6. Remove from the oven and leave to sit for a few minutes, but I’m only saying that because other recipes do. Who really waits that long for their dinner? Christ, get real.

Strawberry Ginger Fizzy Sherbet Smoothie

• Ingredients
  • 175 g frozen strawberries (about 1 1/2 cups)
  • 240 ml (1 cup) apple juice
  • 4-5 g fresh peeled ginger (just under 1/2 inch), grated first if your blender isn’t high speed
  • Juice of 1/2 lime

• Directions/Method
  1. If you’ve got a high speed super powered blender like a Vitamix or Blendtec, you can blend everything together all at once for about 30 seconds.
  2. Many liquidisers don’t handle frozen products very well, so you might try slicing the strawberries up before freezing them to use in smoothies. Alternatively use fresh, unfrozen fruit and refrigerate the end product to cool (it might not be as thick but it’ll still taste good).

Sweet Potato Garlic Mash

• Ingredients
  • 1 medium floury potato, peeled and cut into 1-2 inch chunks (mine was 180g)
  • Approx the same quantity of sweet potato as above (mine was 150g)
  • 2-3 cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • Salt, to taste (I use 1/4 tsp salt)
  • Non-dairy milk
  • Freshly grated black pepper

• Directions/Method
  1. First add the sweet potatoes and potatoes to a saucepan of boiling water and simmer until tender.
  2. While the spuds are boiling, pop a small saucepan on low heat. Add the oil and garlic (don’t chop it, just smash it) and leave it for 10-12 minutes to infuse. Be sure the temperature is kept low or the garlic will burn and you’ll need to start again. The garlic should not change colour.
  3. When the potatoes are tender (test with a knife), drain and mash in a medium bowl. Add a splash of non-dairy milk to bring it together and then pour the contents of the oil pan in, including the garlic. Mash it all up good. Season with salt and pepper to taste (I like to add a pinch of flaked sea salt on top as well).

Dairy-Free Liptauer Style Cheese Spread

• Ingredients
  • 100 g vegan butter substitute
  • 150 g vegan labneh
  • 50 g vegan cream cheese
  • 1 shallot, super finely minced
  • 1 tsp caraway seeds
  • 1 tbsp sweet paprika
  • 1 tsp veggie worcestershire sauce
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 small dill pickle, finely chopped

• Directions/Method
  1. First make your labneh with this recipe or line a mesh strainer with thin muslin or a few layers of cheesecloth and place it over a large bowl. Dump in a large container of unsweetened vegan yoghurt (Alpro and Provamel are too sweet in my opinion). Pop the whole lot in the fridge and leave it to strain for several hours or overnight.
  2. Measure out 150 g of the now thick yoghurt cheese (labneh) and whip together in a medium bowl with the butter and cream cheese until smooth.
  3. Toast the caraway by heating a small saucepan and dry frying the seeds, constantly agitating the pan, for about a minute. Grind in a pestle and mortar and add to the bowl with the spread.
  4. Add all of the other ingredients and mix it up. Taste for salt (you may need more depending on the saltiness of the vegan butter you use- I use either Pure or Vitalite. If you live in the states and use super salty spreads like Earth Balance then you may want to omit all salt).

Fishless Fried Okara Patties

• Spicyish Mayo Dip Ingredients
  • 2 tbsp vegan mayonnaise
  • 1 tbsp tomato ketchup
  • 1/2 tsp sri racha or chili sauce
  • 1/4 tsp prepared dijon mustard
  • 1 1/2-2 tsp finely chopped chives

• Okara Patty Ingredients
  • 150 g (3/4 cup) packed fresh okara
  • 2 small spring onions, finely diced (scant 1/4 cup) or 35 g (1/4 cup) finely chopped yellow onion
  • 25 g (scant 1/4 cup) finely diced celery
  • 5 g (scant 1/4 cup) chopped parsley
  • 35 g (3 tbsp) potato starch
  • 30 ml (2 tbsp) veg worcestershire
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp dried dill
  • 1/2 tsp paprika
  • 20 g (1/3 cup) panko breadcrumbs
  • Vegetable or groundnut (peanut) oil to fry

• Directions/Method
  1. First make the sauce/dip by simply stirring together all the ingredients. Easy peasy.
  2. In a large bowl mash all of the patty ingredients but the panko breadcrumbs and oil together. Shape into 6 vaguely even sized balls and press down to 1/2 inch thick patties (they might crumble a bit, but the patties will hold together after heating in the oil).
  3. Spread the panko out on a plate and press each patty firmly into the breadcrumbs until well coated (you may find more success in actually pressing the balls into patties while laying on the panko). Turn over and repeat, lightly pressing extra breadcrumbs on the top to cover any areas missed. Flip again and do the same for the other side.
  4. Heat 1/8-1/4 inch of oil to medium heat in a heavy bottomed frying pan. Place the patties in the oil and cook for 3-4 minutes before carefully flipping and cooked a further 3-4 minutes. Don’t overcrowd the pan; you may need to fry these in two batches.
  5. Remove the patties with a slotted spoon and transfer to a plate lined with a few sheets of paper towels.
  6. To serve as part of a main meal, garnish with the sauce and serve alongside boiled new potatoes with “butter,” chopped chives and/or a few pinches of dill.

Non-Dairy Cream of Asparagus Soup

• Ingredients
  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • 70 g (1/2 cup) chopped onion
  • 25 g (scant 1/4 cup) chopped celery
  • 2 sprigs fresh thyme, chopped
  • 250 g asparagus, roughly chopped
  • 250 ml (1 cup) vegetable broth
  • 100 ml (1/4 cup + 3 tbsp) white wine
  • 30 g (3 tbsp) cashews
  • 1/4 – 1/2 tsp salt
  • 100 ml almond milk (or soy)
  • 15 ml (1 tbsp) fresh lemon juice
  • White pepper and chopped chives, for garnish

• Directions/Method
  1. Heat the oil in a saucepan to medium heat. Add the onion, celery, and thyme. Cook for a couple of minutes, or until the onions are slightly translucent. Add the chopped asparagus and cook for a further 2-3 minutes.
  2. Pour the wine and stock into the pan and chuck the cashews and salt in as well (start with 1/4 tsp and add more to taste). Cover and cook for 10 minutes.
  3. Pour the liquid into a blender with the lemon juice and almond milk. Blend until smooth.
  4. Serve warm with white pepper and chopped chives sprinked on top.

Paprika Sauerkraut Fried Potatoes

• Ingredients
  • 280 g (10 oz) waxy new potatoes
  • 115 g (4 oz or a heaped 1/2 cup) sauerkraut, most of the liquid squeezed out
  • 1 small onion, sliced
  • 2 tsp vegetable or groundnut (peanut) oil
  • 3/4 tsp paprika
  • 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1/2 tsp caraway seeds
  • 1/8 tsp salt
  • black pepper

• Directions/Method
  1. First cook the potatoes and leave to cool until you can handle them without burning yourself. Cut into approximate 1/2 to 1 inch pieces.
  2. Heat the oil in a wok or frying pan to medium high. Toss the onion in the oil to coat and chuck in the potatoes, stirring once more to spread the oil evenly. Fry for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently to cook the potatoes on all sides.
  3. Turn the heat down to medium and tip the spices and salt in. Stir until the potatoes are coated in red and then add the sauerkraut. Continue to agitate the pan and stir, ensuring the colour spreads through the ‘kraut. Season with some black pepper and more salt, if desired, and cook for another 2-3 minutes, still stirring often.
  4. Shovel it in your face and wish you had more.

Baked Bean, Onion, and Cheezly Pasty

• Ingredients
  • 400 g tin baked beans
  • 140 g (scant cup) waxy new potatoes, cut in 1/4 inch slices
  • 85 g (1 cup) Cheezly
  • 60 g (about 1/2 cup) chopped onion
  • 15 g (1/4 cup) nutritional yeast
  • Pinch of two of black pepper
  • 500g shortcrust pastry (I use Jus Rol)
  • soy milk, for brushing

• Directions/Method
  1. Make a half-arsed attempt to mix the beans, potato slices, cheezly (go for a cheddar-y flavour. Edam works too), onion, nutritional yeast, and black pepper in a medium bowl. Taste it and add more salt and/or pepper if needed.
  2. Roll the pastry to around 1/8 inch thick and cut into three 8-9 inch circles (a plate makes a good template). Brush the edges with soy milk and plop a heaped 1/2 cup filling in the centre of each. Fold the pastry edges up to the centre and pinch them together, pleating or folding over as you go. Brush the outside with soy milk and poke a hole either side of the pleat (this lets the steam out while cooking).
  3. Bake on a sheet at 180 C (350 F) for around 40 minutes, until the pastry is lightly browned. Eat hot or cold (but if you opt for the former let it cool a bit to save burning your piehole off).

Pomegranate Lemonade

• Ingredients
  • 900 ml (approx 3 3/4 cups) water
  • 200 ml (approx 3/4 cup) fresh lemon juice
  • 80 g (1/4 cup + 2 tbsp) sugar
  • 30 ml (2 tbsp) pomegranate molasses

• Directions/Method
  1. Combine all of the ingredients and mix well until sugar dissolves. For an instant preparation, boil some of the water first to dissolve the sugar before adding the remaining ingredients.

Ginger Lemonade

• Ingredients
  • 800 ml approx 3 1/3 cups) water
  • 120 g (1/2 cup) sugar
  • 20 g ginger, peeled and sliced super thin
  • zest of 1 lemon
  • 150 ml (2/3 cup) fresh lemon juice

• Directions/Method
  1. Combine all ingredients but the lemon juice in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Remove from the heat and leave to cool, allowing the ginger to infuse.
  2. Use a mesh strainer to sieve the ginger and zest from the lemonade. Stir in the lemon juice and refrigerate or serve immediately with ice.

Mint Lemonade

• Ingredients
  • 800 ml (approx 3 1/3 cups) water
  • 120 g (1/2 c) sugar
  • zest of 1 lemon
  • 30 g fresh mint
  • 200 ml ( approx 3/4 cup)  fresh lemon juice

• Directions/Method
  1. Combine the water, sugar, mint, and zest in a saucepan. Bring to the boil and then set aside to cool, allowing the mint to infuse.
  2. Once cool, strain the mint and zest. Stir in the lemon juice and serve with ice or refrigerate.

Tom Yummy Asian Aubergine Stack

• Ingredients
  • 2 medium (about 450g) aubergines
  • 1 tbsp groundnut oil, plus extra for brushing/spraying
  • (60 ml) 1/4 cup hot water
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp sherry
  • 2 tsp fresh lime juice, plus lime slices for garnishing
  • 2 tsp vegetarian tom yum paste
  • 1 tsp sri racha
  • 1 tsp agave nectar or sugar
  • 40 g (1/2 cup) fine TVP (textured vegetable protein)
  • 20-25 g (scant 1/4 cup) chopped coriander leaf/root/stem
  • 1 small onion, about 65 g, thinly sliced
  • 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
  • 2 tbsp thick coconut milk or coconut cream
  • 1 tsp lime juice plus 1 tsp agave
  • 1-2 tbsp thinly sliced spring onion
  • 2-3 tbsp mint chiffonade
  • a handful or two of shredded lettuce (optional)
  • salt and pepper, to taste

• Directions/Method
  1. Preheat your oven to at least 200 degrees celcius (400 F). Cut the aubergines lengthways into 1/4 inch slices, then spray or brush them with oil on both sides. Arrange on two baking trays (use parchment if you’d like to save some tidying time). Bake for 15-20 minutes, keeping an eye out for burning, flipping the eggplant halfway through. They should be lightly browned but not blackened.
  2. Combine the 1 tbsp oil, water, soy sauce, sherry, 2 tsp lime juice, tom yum paste, sri racha, and agave/sugar in a small bowl. Tip the TVP (textured vegetable protein) into a wok or large frying pan and pour the liquid over top. Mix to ensure all of the TVP is covered. Leave for 5-10 minutes to soak up the liquid.
  3. Turn the heat to medium and add the onion, garlic, and coriander. Stir fry for 8-10 minutes and season with salt and pepper to taste. Turn the heat off and stir in the coconut milk.
  4. To serve divide the aubergine into two portions, stacking them on each plate in a lattice-ish formation (or just chuck ‘em in a pile). Combine the 1 tsp lime juice with 1 tsp agave nectar and splash over the eggplant. A pinch or two of flaked salt won’t hurt either. Sprinkle the lettuce around the dish and top the aubergine stacks with the TVP. Scatter mint around and over the whole dish, finally topping the plate with some spring onion and a wedge of lime.

Mashed Pumpkin and Kale Harissa Polenta Patties

• Ingredients
  • 300 ml water
  • 200 ml soy milk
  • 2 tbsp harissa paste
  • 2 tsp-3 tsp boullion powder
  • 130 g (about 1 cup) fine polenta
  • 1 tsp vegetable or groundnut oil
  • 30 g (about 1 packed cup) shredded kale
  • 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • a pinch or two of salt
  • 115 g mashed pumpkin (about 1/2 cup)
  • 15 g chopped spring onion
  • 1/8 tsp dried thyme
  • Extra polenta flour, for dusting
  • oil for frying

• Directions/Method
  1. Heat the water, soy milk, broth powder, and harissa paste in a medium saucepan to a near boil. Slowly tip in the polenta, whisking continuously until all of the cornmeal is mixed in the pan. It’ll thicken very quickly, so you’ll probably want to switch to a wooden spoon if your wrists aren’t made of steel.
  2. Turn the heat down to medium low and cook the polenta for 10 minutes, stirring very frequently. The polenta will become thicker and will begin to come away more easily from the sides of the saucepan. Add any additional salt and/or pepper to adjust to your tastes. Remove from the heat and leave to cool for 20-30 minutes, until cool enough to handle.
  3. Heat the teaspoon of oil in a frying pan or wok to medium heat and toss the kale around in there for 2-3 minutes, until wilted (a little brown is okay too). Add the lemon juice and garlic, turning the heat down a bit so the garlic doesn’t burn. Tip the pumpkin and spring onion in, mashing everything together. Rub the thyme between between the palms of your hands into the pan (this more strongly brings out its flavour). Stir the lot for 2 minutes and remove from the heat.
  4. In another frying pan or sauté pan preheat about 1/4 inch deep worth of oil to just above medium heat.
  5. Divide the polenta into 6 vaguely even portions, rolling each into a ball shape. Use polenta flour to help keep the dough from sticking to your hands if it becomes an issue.
  6. On a lightly polenta-floured surface, pat the balls down into a flat 1/4 inch thick disk and plop a tablespoon of the pumpkin mash in the centre. Hold the disk in one palm while semi-carefully folding the edges up with the other hand, pinching them together to seal (don’t worry about perfection). Place the lump, sealed side down, back onto the floured work surface and lightly press into a disk that’s about 3.5 inches across (somewhere between 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick).
  7. Dredge both sides lightly with polenta flour and fry for 3-5 minutes on each side, or until lightly browned. Drain on paper towels and serve.
  8. Alternatively you can bake at 175 C (350 degrees F) for 30 minutes, flipping at the halfway point. Just spray both sides with a bit of oil first. Please note the end product will be much softer than if fried.

Tempeh Lancashire Hotpot

• Ingredients
  • 500 ml vegetable broth, divided into 200ml and 300ml portions
  • 100 ml red wine
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon vegetable or groundnut (peanut) oil
  • 200g tempeh, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
  • 1 tablespoon vegan worcestershire
  • 1 tablespoon tamari
  • 2 teaspoon Natex (or other yeast extract)
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1/4 teaspoon mustard powder or 1/2 teaspoon prepared hot mustard
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 100 g (about 1 cup) thinly sliced onion
  • 150 g (about 1.5 cups) peeled and sliced carrot
  • 1 tablespoon flour
  • Enough floury (such as King Edward) potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch slices, to cover surface of your chosen oven dish
  • Salt and freshly grated black pepper

• Directions/Method
  1. Preheat the oven to 140 degrees celcius (285 F).
  2. Combine the 300 ml portion of broth, yeast extract, worcestershire, tamari, and thyme in a bowl and set aside.
  3. Add the 200 ml broth and wine to a large frying or saute pan, and add the tempeh, coriander, and bay leaf. Simmer at medium-high for 10-12 minutes, or until most (not necessarily all) liquid has cooked off. Agitate the pan from time to time and/or spoon some of the broth over the tempeh pieces as they won’t be fully submerged.
  4. Remove the tempeh pieces with a slotted spoon or spatula and place on a plate. Pour any remaining juices into a 7 x 10 inch oven dish (or something vaguely that size). You can add a bit of extra broth, water, or wine to deglaze the pan if you’d like- just add it all to the oven dish, including the bay leaf.
  5. Don’t turn the heat off. Just rinse the pan and add the tablespoon of oil and pop back on the hob. Re-add the tempeh pieces and carefully fry all sides until browned. They’ll be darkly coloured with wine so it may be hard to spot the browning, but the tempeh will turn a deep, rich red. Once browned on all (or most) sides, after 5-7 minutes, use the spatula or slotted spoon to remove to the oven dish.
  6. Turn the heat down the medium and add the 1 teaspoon of oil. Tip the onion and carrot in and fry until the onion are translucent and the veg are beginning to brown, about 6-8 minutes. Add the flour and stir to coat the vegetables relatively evenly. Pour in the liquid ingredients from step two and whisk to mix well (a few small lumps are okay). Cook until the gravy begins to thicken, whisking or stirring often. You may need to turn the heat up a little to achieve this.
  7. Pour the gravy with veg over the tempeh. Top the casserole with an overlapping tightly knot layer of potato slices. Spray or brush with some extra oil, cover with a lid or foil, and bake for two hours.
  8. After two hours, remove the dish from the oven and ditch the lid or foil. Up the oven heat to 200 C (400 F) and once the oven has preheated to this, stick the hotpot back in there for 40-50 minutes. You’ll know when dinner is ready when the potatoes are brown and crispy.

Coconutty Chocolate Mousse + Your Flavour of Choice

• Ingredients
  • 1 cup full-fat coconut milk
  • 1 cup non-dairy milk
  • 1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp sugar
  • 1/4 cup (40g) corn flour
  • 3 tbsp (30g) cocoa powder
  • 1 tsp rum or orange extract (or for mocha flavour try 1-2 tsp instant coffee granules)
  • 3/4 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 50g (4 good sized squares) dark chocolate, cut into small pieces (optional but recommended)

• Directions/Method
  1. Whisk everything except for the dark chocolate together in a medium saucepan. Taste for flavour and add a few drops more extract if you think it’s necessary (I find some extracts are weaker than others).
  2. Heat the contents of the saucepan slowly, never allowing it to boil (because this can curdle the coconut milk), whisking continuously. After a minute or two the liquid will begin to thicken. Add the dark chocolate, if using, and continue to whisk (switch to a wooden or silicone spoon if it’s easier for you). As soon as it starts obtaining a thick pudding/custard consistency, remove from the heat.
  3. Pour the pudding into serving vessels while the mix is still warm (it will thicken more as it cools and will be more difficult to pour). Cover with clingfilm and leave to cool for 20-30 minutes before refrigerating for at least a couple of hours to cool completely.
  4. Serve garnished with cocoa nibs, nuts, fruit, or finely grated chocolate for an added fancy factor. Or just shove it in your face.

Sort of Butterscotch Sauce

• Ingredients
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • 3 tbsp water
  • 3 tbsp vegan margarine (I used Pure brand)
  • 2 tbsp + 2 tsp corn syrup
  • scant 1/8 tsp salt (unless your margarine is salted, in which case use less)
  • 1/4 tsp arrowroot, if needed

• Directions/Method
  1. Combine all of the ingredients in a small heavy bottomed saucepan and attach your candy thermometre to the pot (unless you’re a super awesome candy making magician, invest in one).
  2. Turn the heat to medium high, stirring only until the sugar is dissolved. Leave the liquid to bubble away- it will rise a little, but despite candy’s seeming attack stance during preparation it won’t get you so long as you keep an eye on the hob. Turn your back and you’re toast. Let the heat get to 240 degrees F and remove from the heat.
  3. Some vegan butter substitutes don’t emulsify well, so have a closer look in the pot once the bubbles have simmered down. Is there a separated glossy layer of oil sitting on top of the sauce? If so, add the arrowroot and quickly whisk in while it’s still hot.
  4. All the sauce to cool and then transfer to a lidded container. It will go quite viscous after a few hours, so if you want something a little thinner then try adding a bit of extra water in the cooking process.

Sesame Drunken Miso for One

• Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup (125 ml) medium sherry
  • 1 cup room temperature or cold water
  • 2 tbsp white miso paste
  • 1 tbsp dark miso paste (I use barley)
  • 1/4 – 1/2 tsp grated ginger (based on personal preference)
  • 1/4 cup chopped spring onion
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • a handful or two of your favourite noodles
  • about 1/4 cup (a healthy handful) of 1/2 inch cubed tofu

• Directions/Method
  1. Turn the heat to high and let your sherry boil with a fervour for 30 seconds. Pour in the water to bring the temperature down and also reduce the heat considerably to medium-low. It’s important the water isn’t hot because you’re about to add the miso, and boiling miso can not only kill its beneficial enzymes but also spoil the flavour. Plop that miso on in there, along with half of the spring onion and all of the ginger. Stir to break up the miso paste. Add the tofu.
  2. While the soup is brewing, prepare your noodles as per packet instructions. Once they’re ready, drain and place them in the bottom of a large bowl.
  3. Pour the miso broth over the noodles and drop the remaining spring onion on top. Drizzle with the sesame oil and serve.

Don’t boil the broth once the miso is added because it can spoil the flavour and kill the beneficial enzymes contained in the paste.

Steamed Tempeh Balls in Sticky Tamarind Sauce

Makes 18-20 balls, enough to serve two

• Tempeh ball ingredients
  • 170g (6 oz) tempeh
  • 30g (1/4 cup) finely diced onion
  • 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
  • 2-3 cloves garlic
  • 2 teaspoons lime juice
  • 2 teaspoons tapioca flour/starch
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce (or tamari for gluten free)
  • 1 teaspoon palm sugar (or brown sugar)
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • fresh diced chilies, to taste (optional- start small, kids)
  • 40g (1/4 cup) brown rice flour

• Stir-fry ingredients
  • 1 shallot, sliced
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 2 teaspoons soy sauce or tamari
  • 1 teaspoon tamarind concentrate + 2 tablespoons water
  • 1 tablespoon sweet freedom or agave nectar
  • 1 heaping teaspoon freshly grated ginger
  • 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon cornflour
  • 1 teaspoon groundnut (peanut) oil, for frying
  • 1 small onion, halved and cut into wedges
  • About 85g (approx 1 cup) broccoli pieces
  • A handful of sliced spring onion

• Directions/Method
  1. First thing’s first: get the tempeh balls steaming. Cut the tempeh into thin slices and steam it for 10 or 15 minutes in a basket or bamboo steamer. This will help remove some bitterness and also prep the tempeh to receive and soak up the rest of the ingredients. Top up the water and keep the steamer steaming.
  2. Add the tempeh and the rest of the tempeh ball ingredients, except the rice flour, into a food processor and pulse until you have a smooth paste (a few unblended beans won’t put a spanner in the works).
  3. Knead the rice flour into the dough until smooth, and roll lumps in between your palms to form approximate one inch balls. Like in other areas of life size isn’t of the utmost importance, but here the recipe should yield 18-20 tempeh spheres.
  4. If you have tiered bamboo steamers (the cheap ones that stack as many as your ceiling is high), grab three. Line them either with greased plates or greaseproof paper and arrange the tempeh balls at 1-2 inch intervals. Stack and steam for 30 minutes. A metal steamer basket works as well, of course.
  5. Now’s the time to make the sauce! Pound the shallot, garlic, soy sauce, tamarind and water, sweetener, ginger, and lime juice together in a pestle and mortar until you achieve a nice smooth paste. Add the cornflour and stir it all up. If you don’t have a pestle and mortar, a coffee mill is good substitute. Otherwise just mince the garlic and shallot as finely as possible and stir together with the soy sauce, tamarind mixture, sweetener, and ginger in a small bowl.
  6. Once the tempeh balls finish steaming, leave them to cool for at least ten minutes (they’ll be a little sticky at first, but will harden as their temperature decreases).
  7. Heat the groundnut oil in your wok to medium high and stir fry the tempeh balls until the outsides are lightly browned, for around 2 minutes. A little bit of burn is okay, so don’t fret. Add the broccoli and onion wedges, continuing to cook for another 2-3 minutes. Add half of the spring onion along with the sauce, tossing quickly for 1-2 minutes in the wok to combine and finish cooking everything.
  8. Dish up with the rest of the spring onion clumped on top as a garnish.

Tofoumi: Vegan Halloumi Style Tofu with Lemon and Herbs

• Ingredients
  • Cut from super duper firm and ultra pressed tofu: Seven or eight slices of 2-3 inch by 1 1/2 inch tofu slices (the slices should be between 1/8 to 1/4 inch in thickness).
  • 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice (plus more to taste)
  • 1 tbsp mix of fresh finely chopped parsley and mint (plus more to taste)
  • 1 tsp za’atar (plus more to taste)
  • Plenty of flaked sea salt
  • Freshly grated black pepper
  • Olive oil to fry

• Directions/Method
  1. Make sure you’ve got as much liquid as possible out of that tofu before you cut the slices (and don’t get too hung up on exact slice size- it doesn’t matter much)! Rub each slice with a pinch of salt on each side and fry on a cast iron griddle pan or skillet with a little bit of olive oil. If you don’t have anything cast iron, go for the next best thing: the heaviest bottomed frying pan you’ve got. Fry for 2-3 minutes on each side, until you see some nice brown griddle streaks (or a uniform dark golden colour if you’re using a flat pan). Remove and pat the oil off with a paper towel.
  2. Pour half of the lemon juice onto a plate (preferably one with a lip so the juice doesn’t run off the edges) and layer the tofu slices in it. Sprinkle the rest of the lemon juice over top of the slices along with a pinch or five of flaked salt and some freshly grated black pepper (I tend to go fairly heavy on the latter too). Follow this with the herbs and then the za’atar and serve. If you’re feeling decadent, drizzle a little bit of your best extra virgin olive oil over the entire dish!

Absolutely Pho-bulous Vegetarian Pho (Phở Chay)

• Pho Broth Ingredients
  • 1 stick cinnamon
  • 3 star anise pods
  • 1 tbsp + 2 tsp coriander seeds
  • 2 tsp cumin seeds
  • 40g (1.5 oz) unpeeled ginger, sliced thinly
  • 8 cloves of garlic, lightly crushed (unpeeled)
  • 1.5 tbsp peanut oil
  • 6 good sized shallots, unpeeled and roughly diced
  • 2 celery stalks, roughly diced
  • 1 large carrot, roughly diced
  • handful of fresh coriander (including stems), chopped
  • 3 dried shiitake mushrooms
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1400 ml (6 cups) water
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tsp palm sugar

• Noodles and accompaniments
  • 280g (10oz) firm tofu (vague weight after pressing), in 1 inch dice or some store bought deep fried tofu puffs
  • peanut oil to deep fry
  • Tin of straw mushrooms or a handful of sliced mushrooms
  • 150-200g flat rice noodles
  • 2-3 tbsp sliced spring onions
  • Fresh mint
  • Fresh coriander
  • Fresh basil (try to get Thai if you can)
  • Bean sprouts
  • Chili slices
  • Mushrooms (optional)
  • Slices of lime

• Directions/Method
  1. Pound the cinnamon, anise, coriander and cumin seeds in a pestle and mortar for a minute until the seeds are crushed. Add the ginger and garlic and pound into a vague paste. Don’t worry about perfection- a few chunks aren’t going to be an issue (and don’t worry about peeling the garlic either, unless you particularly want to do so). Heat the oil in a large stock pot and fry the spice mix for 2-3 minutes, or until fragrant.
  2. Add the celery, carrot, shallots, and fresh coriander to the pot and continue to fry for another 4-5 minutes. When the vegetables are soft and beginning to char a little, tip in the water.
  3. Throw all of the remaining broth ingredients in the pot: salt, soy sauce, palm sugar, and dried shiitake mushrooms. Cover and leave to simmer over a low heat for about an hour.
  4. Meanwhile, get the condiments and other phở ingredients ready. Heat an inch or two of oil in a wok or other vessel worthy of deep frying and fry the tofu pieces to a light brown outer appearance. Remove with a slotted spoon and leave to drain on kitchen roll.
  5. Close to serving time, prepare the rice noodles per the packet’s instructions (around 50g per person is a good starting point) and divide between bowls. Sprinkle some chopped spring onion over the noodles and add the tofu pieces.
  6. When the broth is ready, strain to remove the spices and vegetables. If you’re using mushrooms, place the stock back on the hob and add the mushrooms, leaving to cook just until the mushrooms are ready. Ladle some broth (including the mushrooms) into the bowls and serve hot.
  7. Pile fresh leaves of basil, mint, and coriander (cilantro) on a plate, alongside a couple handfuls of bean sprouts and some sliced chilies to serve. Oh, and don’t forget some lime wedges! Some of my other favourite condiments for noodle soup include sri racha, extra soy sauce, toasted sesame seeds.

Phở Chay

Mulled Spiced Apple Infusion

• Ingredients
  • 2 cups (280ml) apple juice
  • 1/2 cup (120ml) orange juice
  • 2 tbsp (30ml) red wine
  • 1 satsuma, clementine, or tangerine, quartered
  • 1 three inch cinnamon stick
  • 1/2 inch ginger, cut into thin slivers
  • 5 whole cloves
  • 5 allspice berries
  • 2 cardamom pods
  • 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

• Directions/Method
  1. This is simple: just add all of the ingredients to a saucepan and bring to the boil. Once the bubbles start, immediately turn the heat down to a low simmer, cover, and leave for 20-25 minutes.
  2. Strain the juice to remove the spices and serve hot.

Vegan Molasses Cookies

• Ingredients
  • 1 cup + 2 tbsp all purpose flour (140g)
  • 2 tbsp packed brown sugar
  • 1/4 tsp ground ginger
  • 1/8 tsp baking soda
  • 1/8 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/8 tsp salt
  • 2 tbsp + 1 tsp molasses (35ml)
  • 2 tbsp + 1 tsp non-dairy milk (35ml)
  • 2 tbsp non-dairy butter, melted (30g)
  • 1 tbsp soy yoghurt
  • 3 tbsp glacé cherries (optional)
  • Demerera sugar, for rolling

• Directions/Method
  1. Preheat the oven to 190 C (375 F). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Mix the dry ingredients thoroughly, including the sugar. Stir in the liquid ingredients and, if using, fold in the glacé cherries.
  3. Scoop into approximate 1 tbsp balls and drop into the sugar. The dough will be a little sticky, but once it’s coated in the sugar you’ll be able to roll it into a ball. Place on the cookie sheet, two inches apart, and repeat with the rest of the dough.
  4. Place the tray in the fridge for 10-15 minutes and then flatten the cookies slightly with the bottom of a glass.
  5. Bake for 10-12 minutes and leave to cool on the sheet.

Black Bean Soup with Masa Dumplings

• Ingredients
  • About 1 cup dried black beans, soaked overnight and cooked per the packet’s instructions
  • vegetable oil
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 1 large courgette, cut into large dice
  • 4-5 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tbsp cumin
  • 60ml (1/4 cup) red wine
  • 240ml (1 cup) vegetable stock
  • 400g tin of tomatoes
  • 2 tbsp (30 ml) vegetarian worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 2 bay leaves
  • limes and/or coriander, garnish

• Ingredients
  • 80g (1/2 cup) masa harina
  • 20g (2 tbsp) all purpose flour
  • 2-3 tbsp non-dairy butter
  • 2-3 tbsp non-dairy milk
  • 1 tsp lime juice
  • 3/4 tsp baking powder
  • 1/8 tsp salt

• Directions/Method
  1. Cook the onions on medium-high heat in a little bit of oil for about 5 minutes. Add the courgette and cook for a further 5 minutes, stirring every so often, until everything is a bit transparent and maybe even a little browned. Turn down the heat to medium or med-low and throw the garlic, oregano, and cumin into the pan.
  2. Stir quickly to coat everything, but to keep the garlic from burning you only need to cook for about 30 seconds before pouring in the wine. Stir to mix and allow the wine to mostly evaporate before adding the stock, tomatoes, worcestershire, sugar, and bay leaves. Finally, pop the beans in, cover, and leave to simmer for around 15 minutes.
  3. Meanwhile make your dumplings by simply mixing all of the dumpling ingredients together. One thing to keep in mind is how moist you like your dumplings. I used 2 tbsp non-dairy butter and around 2.5 tbsp soy milk to make a moderately dry dumpling. Add more if you want more gooey ball of doughs in your stew.
  4. Roll into approximately 8 balls of even(ish) size. Add to the pan, submerging partially (they don’t need to be wholly submerged), and simmer covered for another 15 minutes.
  5. Serve hot with a wedge of lime and some chopped coriander, plus your favourite non-dairy cheese if you’re feeling decadent!

Vegan Toasted Coconut Cookies

• Ingredients
  • 1/4 cup margarine (I use 50g Pure)
  • 50g (1/4 cup) sugar
  • 1 tbsp non-dairy milk
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 40g (1/4 cup) all purpose flour
  • 50g (1/2 cup) unsweetened toasted coconut, ground finely
  • 1.5 tbsp cornflour
  • 1/8 tsp baking soda
  • pinch of salt

• Directions/Method
  1. Line a baking sheet with wax paper and preheat your oven to 175 degrees celcius (350 F).
  2. Cream the margarine and sugar together with an electric mixer for two minutes. Add the vanilla and non dairy milk and mix until vaguely incorporated.
  3. Add the dry ingredients and mix until combined (if stuff was seeming all lumpy in the previous step, here’s where it’ll come together). Drop heaped tablespoons on your cookie sheet and press to flatten lightly with your fingers or with the back of a wet spoon.
  4. Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until the cookies just begin to lightly brown around the edges. Cool on the pan.

Griddled Tempeh and Khmer Curry Paste in Banana Leaves

• Ingredients
  • 200g pack of tempeh, cut in half and then sliced through the centre of each piece (to make two thinner cakes of the same length and width)
  • 3 tbsp kroeung paste
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce + 1/2 cup water
  • 2 tsp sugar
  • 2 tsp lime juice
  • Fresh banana leaves
  • A little oil (more for the benefit of your pan than this dish)

• Directions/Method
  1. Mix the sugar, lime, soy sauce, and water in a pain. Add the tempeh pieces and turn the heat to medium. Cook until about half of the liquid is gone before flipping the tempeh pieces and cooking until the pan is nearly dry. Remove from the heat.
  2. Cut 4 pieces of banana leaf to a size a little larger than what you’d need to wrap the tempeh slices as if they were a gift. Lay a piece of tempeh in the centre of each sheet and spoon about two teaspoons of the curry paste on top of each slice, spreading it to cover the whole piece.
  3. Fold the banana leaf first over the longest edges of the tempeh, and then the shortest. Place the parcels on a grill pan with the wrapped side down (once it cooks a bit, they won’t quite bind closed but they’ll remain sealed).
  4. Fry for around 10 minutes on each side. My suggestion is to open a parcel and have a taste halfway through- if the curry paste flavour is still too strong for you then cook a little while longer.
  5. Serve hot with rice or a simple stir fry and a selection of condiments (soy sauce, lime, sugar, chili sauce, etc…).

Vegan Khmer (Cambodian) Kroeung

• Ingredients
  • 2 stalks lemongrass
  • 6-8 cloves garlic
  • 2 chopped shallots
  • 25g (3/4 oz) galangal, ginger, or a mix of both
  • 1/2 tsp dried turmeric
  • 3-4 kaffir lime leaves (if dried, refresh for 20 minutes in hot water)
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • chilies, to taste

• Directions/Method
  1. Remove any tough outer layers from the lemongrass stalks and chop into thin rounds (it’s very stringy, so don’t try to pound it as is).
  2. Add all of the ingredients to a pestle and mortar, a spice mill, or whatever you’ve got that makes things paste like, and go to town. A little bit of chunky is okay in my book, but smooth as possible is best.
  3. Refrigerate and use in curries, stir fries, and soups.

Lime Soup with Noodles

• Ingredients
  • 480ml (2 cups) water
  • 2 stalks lemongrass, cut into a several pieces and heavily bruised
  • 2-3 kaffir lime leaves
  • 2-3 cloves garlic
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp lime juice
  • 1/2-1 tsp palm sugar
  • Pinch of salt
  • Coriander and spring onion, to garnish
  • Noodles, cooked per packet instructions

• Directions/Method
  1. Prepare your noodles and place them in your soup bowl.
  2. Bring the water to the boil with the lemongrass and kaffir lime. Meanwhile make a paste out of the lime juice, soy sauce, and garlic (use a pestle and mortar, but if you don’t have one just super finely mince the garlic). After about five minutes’ boiling time, add the paste. Turn the heat down to medium low. Add the palm sugar and a pinch of salt.
  3. Leave to cook for another few minutes before straining the broth through mesh onto the noodles. Garnish with spring onion and coriander leaves.

Rainbow Tapioca Rice Balls in Coconut Milk

• Ingredients
  • 60g (1/2 cup) rice flour
  • 30g (1/4 cup) tapioca flour
  • 5g (2 tbsp) icing (powdered) sugar
  • 60-80ml (1/4-1/3 cup) boiling water
  • 1-2 tsp flavour essence or extract (I used raspberry but have also used vanilla)
  • Food colouring
  • 140ml (2/3 cup) coconut milk
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla
  • A pinch or two of salt

• Directions/Method
  1. Combine the flours well in a medium bowl, along with the icing sugar before adding the flavour extract of your choice. Slowly add the hot water, about a tablespoon at a time, until you achieve a soft but pliable dough (just firm enough to not stick to your hands too much). Kneed for 5 minutes, adding a few drops of food colouring to suit your colour preferences. Divide the dough into smaller portions and add kneed in a few drops of different colour dyes to each if you want a rainbow effect.
  2. Roll the dough into small 1/4 inch-1/2 inch balls and drop into boiling water for 3-5 minutes. You’ll know when they’re done when they beging to float a little bit. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
  3. Heat the coconut milk, sugar, vanilla, and salt in a saucepan just until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat and serve on the rice balls (refrigerate first if you like a cold dessert).

Vegetarian Soy-Mushroom Larb

• Ingredients
  • 260g (about 3 cups) diced mushrooms (mix of varieties)
  • oil
  • 1 tbsp + 1 tsp light soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp + 1 tsp freshly squeezed lime juice
  • 1 tbsp water
  • 1/2 tbsp dark soy sauce (omit if you don’t have)
  • 1 tsp palm sugar
  • 20g (1/4 cup) fine textured vegetable protein (TVP)
  • 1 small green chili, diced (optional)
  • 1.5 tbsp toasted jasmine rice powder (see method below)
  • Handful each of chopped mint and coriander (cilantro)
  • 15g (3 tbsp) finely diced spring onion
  • 25g (scant 1/4 cup) thinly sliced shallot
  • 1 stalk lemongrass, minced
  • 2 large kaffir lime leaves, thinly slices
  • a handful or two of deep fried cashews

• Directions/Method
  1. Heat the soy sauces, lime juice, water, and palm sugar in a small saucepan just until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat and add the TVP and green chili. Most of the liquid will be soaked up.
  2. Toast your rice by simply dry frying it until it browns, followed by a quick session with a pestle and mortar (5 minutes-ish total time). In a large bowl, add the rice powder, mint, spring onion, shallot, lemongrass, lime leaves, and cashews (just deep fry cashews until they’re a couple shades darker).
  3. Heat another pan or wok and stir fry the mushrooms with a little oil, just until they begin to release their juices. Tip the TVP and any remaining sauce in and stir well, stir frying for another minute.
  4. Add the mushrooms and TVP to the bowl with the other ingredients and mix well.
  5. Serve with rice or fresh thinly cut vegetables and salad (or all of the above).

Brandy Coconut with Sticky Thai Black and White Rice

• Coconut Rice Ingredients
  • 1/4 cup each black and white sticky rice
  • 3-4 tbsp palm sugar
  • 120ml (1/2 cup) thick coconut milk (use 2/3 cup if you like it soupier. Is that a word?)
  • 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
  • pinch or two of salt

• Brandy Coconut Ingredients
  • 1/2 fresh grated coconut
  • 2 tbsp palm sugar
  • 1/5 tbsp water
  • 1 tbsp brandy
  • pinch of salt

• Directions/Method
  1. Soak the rice together overnight in enough water to cover. The next day strain the rice and place in a square of muslin or thick cheesecloth and steam for 15-20 minutes.
  2. While the rice is steaming, make the brandy coconut. Heat the water and sugar in a small saucepan until the sugar is dissolved. Add the rest of the ingredients and cook for 5-10 minutes, until the liquid is dried up. Set aside.
  3. Combine all of the ingredients for the coconut rice in a saucepan and heat, again just to melt the sugar. Do not boil or the coconut milk may curdle.
  4. When the rice is finished, add it to the hot coconut milk. The rice will soak in some of the milk (but it’ll still be a little soupy). Spoon into two bowls, top with the brandy sugared coconut, and drizzle with additional coconut milk if desired.
  5. Refrigerate and serve cold.

Vegan Thai Style Pineapple Fried Rice

• Ingredients
  • 170g brown rice (about 1 cup), cooked per its packet’s instructions
  • Oil, to fry
  • Approx 70g (2.5 oz) firm pressed tofu, sliced into 1/2 inch x 1 inch pieces.
  • 1/4 cup cashew or cashew pieces
  • 55g (heaped 1/3 cup) finely diced shallot
  • 50g (1 small) thinly slice carrot
  • 70g cut broccoli pieces (about 1 cup)
  • 1 medium onion, cut into thick slices or wedges
  • A few thin slivers of bell pepper
  • Three or 4 mushrooms
  • A handful or two of bean sprouts
  • 120g (two or 3 handfuls) Chinese leaf, sliced in 1/2 inch strips.
  • 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 150-200g chopped pineapple (1 to 1 1/2 cups)
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 2 tsp palm sugar
  • 2 tsp lime juice
  • salt, to taste
  • Toasted sesame seeds (optional)

• Directions/Method
  1. First you’ll want to fry the tofu, shallots, and cashews, so heat about an inch of oil in a pan or wok to a medium-high-ish heat. Line two plates with paper towels. Add the tofu pieces to the oil and fry until golden. Remove with a slotted spoon and place on one of the plates. Fry the cashew pieces until they turn a couple of shades darker, and place with the tofu. Finally, tip the diced shallots into the fat and fry until crispy-golden (be careful not to burn). Remove and set aside on a the second bowl.
  2. Mix the soy sauce, sugar, and lime together in a small bowl. Set aside.
  3. Heat some oil in your wok and add the broccoli, onion, carrot, pepper, and mushrooms. Stir fry for a minute or two until the mushrooms reduce in size and the veg begin to brown a little. Add the Chinese leaf, sprouts, garlic, and pineapple. Toss in the tofu and cashew nuts too. Stir fry for another minute before tipping in the rice.
  4. Quickly mix the vegetables and rice before adding the soy/lime/sugar liquid. Mix fervently for a minute or two to avoid burning, ensuring you get the wok spoon or spatula under the rice and veg to turn frequently.
  5. Plate the fried rice and top it with a sprinkling of the fried shallots. Serve with chilies, soy sauce, toasted sesame seeds, and any other favourite Asian condiments.

Sinfully Rich Coconut Milk Porridge

• Ingredients
  • 70g (2/3 cup) rolled oats
  • 180-240ml (3/4-1 cup) full fat thick coconut milk (preferably fresh)
  • 30ml (1/4 cup) coconut water or other non-dairy liquid
  • 2-3 tbsp palm sugar (to taste)
  • Pinch of salt
  • Dried fruit and extra coconut milk or coconut cream to top

• Directions/Method
  1. Two saucepans: one with the coconut milk, coconut water, sugar and salt. The other with the oats.
  2. Heat the coconut milk saucepan just to dissolve the sugar and salt. Remove the milk from the heat and set the oatmeal pot on the heat instead.  Pour the liquid slowly into the panful of oats, a little bit at a time to achieve your desired consistency. Cook as per packet instructions.
  3. Serve drowned in any remaining coconut milk or coconut cream, with dried fruit on top.

Braised Vietnamese-Inspired Lemongrass Stuffed Tofu

• Tomato sauce ingredients
  • Oil, to fry
  • 2 large shallots, finely diced
  • 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tsp freshly grated ginger
  • minced red chili, to taste
  • 60ml (1/4 cup) low-salt vegetable broth or water
  • 2 tsp palm sugar
  • 2 tsp dark soy sauce
  • 2 tsp soy sauce
  • 1 tsp lime juice
  • 1/4 tsp turmeric
  • Pinch or two of salt
  • 400g tin of tomatoes

• Stuffed Tofu Ingredients
  • 350g firm tofu (pressed), plus oil to deep fry
  • Kitchen twine
  • 2 stalks lemongrass, tough outer layer removed, finely diced
  • 2 small spring onions, finely diced (about 1/4 cup)
  • 1/2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
  • 1 tbsp palm sugar
  • 2 tsp soy sauce
  • 1/2 tbsp lime juice
  • Large handful fresh coriander, chopped (scant 1/4 cup once chopped)
  • Pinch of salt

• Directions/Method
  1. Heat about an in of oil in a wok or pan to medium-high heat. Cut your tofu into four pieces and deep fry them in the oil for a few minutes on each side, until lightly browned. Remove with a slotted spoon and place on a tempura rack to drain oil or on paper towels. Leave to cool.
  2. Meanwhile mix all of the stuffing ingredients in a small bowl. When the tofu is cooled enough to handle, slice each piece through the centre to about 1 centimetre from the far edge. Stuff each bean curd square with equal portions of the stuffing. I use kitchen twine to bind the tofu at this point so the filling doesn’t fall out while cooking.
  3. Heat a little oil in a sauté pan and gently fry the garlic, shallot, ginger, and chili for a few minutes until fragrant. Pour the broth into the pan along and mix well.
  4. Turn the heat to medium low and add the sugar, soy sauces, lime juice, turmeric, and salt. Stir together quickly and tip in the tin of tomatoes.
  5. Place the stuffed tofu into the sauce, spooning a little bit on the tops of the squares. Cover and cook for about 30 minutes, occasionally spooning more sauce over the tofu.
  6. Serve with rice and sprinkle with extra toasted sesame seeds to garnish. Don’t eat the twine (you know at least one of you actually had to be told that).

Creamy Coconut Mushroom Dip / Spread

• Ingredients
  • 150ml (1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons) coconut cream
  • 20g mix of dried mushrooms
  • 1 tbsp fresh grated coconut
  • 1.5 tsp lime juice
  • 1 tsp peanut butter
  • 1 tsp palm sugar
  • 1 tsp soy sauce
  • 1/2 tsp dark soy sauce

• Directions/Method
  1. Warm the coconut cream in a saucepan and add the dried mushrooms to soak for about 10-15 minutes, until soft.
  2. Chuck all the ingredients into a food processor or coffee mill type gadget and blend to a smooth paste. Serve with a warm fresh baguette.

Aubergine Cannelloni with Pineapple Lemongrass Hummus

• Ingredients
  • 175g (1 heaped cup) cooked chickpeas (about 1/3 dried, soaked overnight)
  • 40g (1/4 cup) diced pineapple
  • 1.5 tbsp lime juice
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 3 inches lemongrass
  • 1 small Asian shallot
  • 1 tsp soy sauce
  • 1 tsp tahini
  • 1/4 tsp salt, plus more to taste
  • Water to obtain desired consistency
  • 3 Aubergines, plus oil to fry
  • About 1/2 cup diced spring onions
  • Freshly cut coriander (cilantro), to garnish
  • Sri racha and/or mango jam, to garnish

• Directions/Method
  1. First, make the hummus by combining the cooked chickpeas, pineapple, garlic, lemongrass, shallot, soy sauce, tahini, and salt in a high powered blender or food processor. Add water, one tablespoon at a time, to obtain a consistency that blends but is still fairly thick. Set aside, or leave overnight for flavours to better infuse.
  2. Heat the oven to 190 degress celcius (375 F).
  3. Slice each aubergine lenthways into 6 pieces. Heat your grill pan to a medium high heat with oil and fry the aubergine slices (don’t overcrowd the pan- do them in batches if need be) until they become slightly transparent. Turn over with tongs and fry for a similar amount of time on the other side (it may help to try a piece as different people seem to appreciate eggplant cooked to different textures). Remove and place on papertowels to soak up oil. If you don’t have a grill pan, try brushing the eggplant with oil and baking at very high heat for a few minutes on each side.
  4. Once the aubergine has cooled enough to handle with your fingers, place 1 tbsp of lemongrass pineapple hummus and 1 tsp of the spring onion on each slice, and roll up gentle. Secure with a toothpick or two if the rolls aren’t staying together on their own.
  5. Bake on a tray or in a casserole dish for 10-15 minutes. Once finished serve immediately, preferably with sides of sri racha sauce and mango jam (the gist? a combination of spicy and something fruity). Top with any remaining spring onion and the coriander.

Green Curry Duchesse Jewel Sweet Potatoes in Ginger Coconut Cream

• Ingredients for duchesse sweet potatoes
  • 275g ( around10 oz) Purple jewel sweet potato
  • 2 tbsp coconut cream
  • 2 tbsp toasted coconut, ground to a fine powder
  • 1 tsp Thai vegetarian green curry paste
  • salt, to taste,
  • oil, to coat

• Ingredients for coconut ginger cream base
  • 120ml (1/2 cup) water
  • 3 inches lemongrass, cut into 3 pieces, each bruised on all sides
  • 4-5 thin slices galangal or ginger
  • 1 kaffir lime leaves
  • 1 asian shallot, finely diced
  • 1/2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1/2 tbsp dark soy sauce
  • 1/2 tsp palm sugar (or substitute brown sugar)
  • 180ml (3/4 cup) thick coconut milk or cream
  • Generous squeeze fresh lime juice
  • Chopped spring onions and/or fresh coriander/cilantro, to garnish

• Directions/Method
  1. Bring the water to the boil in a wok or pan and add the lime leaves and then immediately remove the wok from the heat, setting aside for the leaves to soak for 20 minutes (if you’re using fresh, not dried, leaves then omit this step and add lime leaves with ginger in step 3).
  2. Meanwhile cut the potatoes into 1/2 inch slices and steam for 10-15 minutes until soft. Place in a bowl and mash with the coconut cream, toasted coconut, curry paste, and salt (to taste).
  3. Fill a piping bag with the mashed sweet potatoes and pipe onto a wax paper lined baking sweet. Aim for 6-8 clusters of mash. Drizzle some oil on top and bake at 190 C (375 F) for 20-25 minutes.
  4. Place the wok back on the heat, adding the ginger, lemongrass, and shallot. Simmer for 5-10 minutes before stirring in the soy sauces, sugar and coconut milk. Cook over medium heat for 5-10 minutes before removing and disposing of the lime leaves, ginger, and lemongrass.
  5. Ladle into two bowls or dipped plates and squeeze a bit of lime juice over each bowl. Place some of the duchesse sweet potatoes in the creamy base, pouring some extra coconut milk over if desired, and sprinkling with coriander leaves and spring onion.

Thai Steamed Banana Cake (Khanom Kluang)

• Ingredients
  • 50ml (3 tbsp plus 1 tsp) fresh thick coconut milk
  • 20g (1 tbsp plus 1 tsp) sugar
  • 1 very ripe banana
  • ¼ tsp lemon or lime juice
  • Yellow food colouring (optional)
  • 20g (1 tbsp plus 2 tsp) white or brown rice flour (not glutinous)
  • 10g (2 tsp) corn flour
  • 10g (1 tbsp plus 1 tsp) desiccated coconut
  • Pinch of salt

• Directions/Method
  1. Whisk the sugar and coconut milk in a bowl until most of the sugar is dissolved.
  2. In another bowl, mash the banana to a smooth paste. Add the rice and corn flours, the dye (if using), lemon/lime juice (to prevent discolouring of the banana), salt, and coconut. Mix until combined and tip in the contents of the coconut milk bowl. Mix until combined.
  3. Line a mini cupcake tray with 12 papers and fill each to just below the top. Alternatively you can use larger cupcake trays, silicone cases, or ramekins. Place in a steamer (or in the bottom of a large pot or pan with a small amount of water- you just have to top it up during the steam process) and steam for about 20 minutes.
  4. These can be eaten warm but the consistency, at least in my mind, is preferable once they cool down a little bit. Your call; they’re good either way. Garnish with some grated coconut meat.

Thai Creamy Lemongrass Nibbles

• Ingredients
  • 2 tbsp vegan cream cheese
  • approx 80-100g puff pastry block or approx 12 square inches rolled pastry
  • 2 stalks fresh lemongrass (dry outer layers remove), finely chopped
  • 2 kaffir lime leaves, (soaked in warm water for 20 minutes if they came dried)
  • 1 tsp palm or brown sugar
  • 2 tsp toasted shredded coconut
  • 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds
  • at least 1 tsp fresh coriander (cilantro to Americans), chopped
  • at least 1 tsp fresh mint, chopped
  • ½ tsp soy sauce
  • ¼ tsp lime juice
  • finely diced red chili, to taste

• Directions/Method
  1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees C (400F) and lightly grease a baking sheet or line it with baking paper.
  2. Slice the kaffir lime leaves into thin slivers, stack, and dice as fine as possible. To toast coconut, heat a pan to medium and dry fry the shredded meat until it’s lightly browned. The same process goes for the sesame seeds. Thoroughly mix all of the ingredients together in a bowl, simple as that, and set aside.
  3. If your puff pastry isn’t already pre-rolled, roll out into a ¼ inch sheet. For a fancier look, use cutters or a pastry knife to cut the dough into 2.75 inch squares, and then trim about ¼ inch of dough to line the outside of each square (or use pre made vol au vent cases). Otherwise, just plonk a tablespoon and a bit of filling in the centre of each square.
  4. Brush the still exposed pastry with some soy milk for crisp browning (optional), and bake for between 12-15 minutes until lightly browned.
  5. Serve hot or cold.

Vegan Yum Som O (Thai Pomelo Salad)

• Ingredients
  • 1 Pomelo (approx 2.5lb or just over a kilogram)
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp lime juice
  • 1 tbsp palm sugar (or brown sugar)
  • chopped chili, to taste (optional)
  • 3 tbsp toasted coconut
  • 3 tbsp ground peanut (use a pestle and mortar)
  • 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
  • 1/2 cup (75g) diced shallot, plus oil to fry
  • Chopped mint and coriander (cilantro), to garnish (optional)

• Directions/Method
  1. Cut and open your pomelo, collecting the fruit and any straying juice in a large bowl. Break any large pieces apart into bite sized chunks or strands. Mix the soy sauce, lime juice, sugar and chili and toss with the pomelo.
  2. Heat a wok or pan, with no oil, over medium to medium high heat and toast your coconut until it browns lightly. Tip it into a bowl and place the wok back on the heat to toast the sesame seeds for a similar amount of time until they turn a golden colour. Add to the coconut and leave to cool for a few minutes.
  3. Place the wok back on the head and add a half inch or inch of oil. Fry the shallots for a few minutes, keeping a close eye, until brown and crispy; there’s a fine line between this and burnt and you don’t want to cross it. Strain shallots from the oil and set aside to cool slightly.
  4. Toss the coconut and sesame mix, along with the ground peanut, with the pomelo and dish up. Divide the fried shallot between the two dishes, sprinkling on top. Garnish with chopped mint and coriander, if you please.

Vegan Panna Cotta with Lemon and Espresso

• Lemon Layer Ingredients
  • 120ml (1/2 cup) single soy cream
  • 120ml soy milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 3 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1/4 tsp lemon zest
  • a few pinches of nutmeg
  • 1 tsp agar flakes

• Espresso Layer Ingredients
  • 80ml (1/3 cup) soy cream
  • 60ml (1/4 cup) soy milk
  • 15-30ml (1-2 shots) espresso, depending on how strong you like
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla
  • 2 tbsp sugar
  • 1/2 tsp agar flakes

• Directions/Method
  1. First make the lemon layer. Mix the soy cream, milk, vanilla, brown sugar, lemon zest, and nutmeg in a saucepan and sprinkle the agar on top. Leave for ten minutes and then slowly bring to a light boil, leaving it for a couple of minutes before stirring. Stir every so often until the flakes are dissolved (5-10 minutes, give or take).
  2. Pour into a ramekin and set aside to cool. Refrigerate for a little while until set.
  3. To make the thinner espresso layer, combine the soy milk, cream, sugar, and vanilla in a saucepan. Sprinkle the agar flakes on top and again leave for 10 minutes before gradually heating to a slow simmer. Stir after a couple of minutes and every so often until the agar is dissolved. Stir the espresso in and mix thoroughly. Fill the remaining space in the ramekins with the espresso liquid and leave to cool again.
  4. Serve cold, in a bed of espresso if desired, with non-dairy whip or cream and a pinch of lemon zest.

Sweet Potato and Aubergine Curry

• Ingredients
  • 200g sweet potato, peeled and in 1 inch dice (1 small-ish potato)
  • 300g aubergine (eggplant) in 1/2 inch dice (1 medium eggplant)
  • 230g onion, halved and quartered (1 medium-large onion)
  • oil
  • 1/2 tsp coriander seeds
  • 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
  • 3-4 cloves garlic (1 tbsp)
  • 1/2 tbsp grated ginger
  • 2 inches lemon grass
  • 1-2 packed tbsps fresh coriander leaves and stems
  • 2 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 cup (240 ml) full fat coconut milk
  • 2 kaffir lime leaves
  • 1.5 tsp brown sugar
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1/4-1/2 (60-120ml) stock or water

• Directions/Method
  1. Mix the sweet potato, onion, and aubergine with a tablespoon of oil and roast at 200 C (400 F) for 20-25 minutes, until the onions are brown and a knife can be inserted fully through the sweet potato.
  2. Dry fry/roast the the coriander and cumin seeds in a large wok for a minute or so, until fragrant and beginning to pop. Use a pestle and mortar to grind down with the garlic, ginger, lime juice, lemon grass, fresh coriander, and salt.
  3. Heat a teaspoon of oil in the wok and fry the paste for a minute. Add the coconut milk and simmer 2-3 minutes before addingt eh sugar, soy sauce, and lime leaves. Turn the heat to medium low and simmer for ten more minutes. Blend to a smooth paste, if desired, and return to the wok. Add salt to taste.
  4. Add the additional water or vegetable stock and the roasted vegetables. Stir to coat and keep warm until ready to serve. Alternatively, blend to a soup with another cup or two of water/broth.

Potato Pancakes with Garlicky Smashed Spinach

• Ingredients
  • Plenty of oil
  • 250g / 9oz floury potatoes (2 medium-small spuds)
  • 30ml (2 tbsp) soy milk
  • 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 tbsp finely diced spring onion
  • 70g / 2.5 oz firm tofu, pressed and cut into thin matchsticks
  • 1/2 tsp tamari
  • 1/2 tsp vegan worcestershire
  • 1/2 red onion
  • 250g fresh spinach
  • 1-2 tbsp vegan butter
  • 1 head roasted garlic
  • 2 tbsp potato starch
  • Extra salt and black pepper, to taste

• Directions/Method
  1. First put your oven on 200 C (400 F) to roast the garlic. Peel away as much of the outer skin as possible from an entire bulb of garlic, cut 1/8-1/4 inch off the top so the garlic is just peeping out, coat in oil, and pop the oven for 20-30 minutes, or until the garlic is soft.
  2. Meanwhile peel and cut the potatoes in large dice. Boil until a knife can be inserted with ease, drain, and place in a medium bowl along with the milk, nutritional yeast, 1/2 tsp salt, and spring onion. Mash well.
  3. Get out two small plates. On one pour the tamari and worcestershire sauces. On the other, spread out the 2 tbsp potato starch. Put the tofu matchsticks on the plate with the sauces, turning to coat until all of the liquid is soaked in.
  4. Heat plenty of oil in a large skillet. Form the now cooled mashed potato into four balls of moderately equal size and press into 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch thick patties. Coat each side lightly in the potato starch and place on the skillet to fry on each side for a few minutes, or until crispy and brown.
  5. While the pancakes are cooking, steam the spinach in a pot with a tablespoon or so of water, adding extra handfuls as it cooks down. When the spinach is cooked, drain it and press as much liquid out as possible. Return it to the pot along with the butter and any extra salt you desire. Squeeze the roasted garlic cloves out of their skins and mash into the spinach slightly. Keep on low heat.
  6. Test your multi-tasking skills some more! Quickly roll the tofu in the rest of the starch, to coat. If there’s room in the pan with the potato pancakes, fry them in there (keep them slightly separated because the potato starch will make them stick together). Otherwise, fry them quickly after the potato is finished cooking. They only need to be fried for a minute or two, until justy brown and crispy.
  7. Cut the onion in half and into wedges and stir fry on high heat for a few minutes. Add an extra splash of tamari for flavour, if desired.
  8. Serve the potato pancakes topped with the spinach. Spoon the onions over and lay the tofu over/beside/however. Serve immediately.

Fresh Homemade Sesame Udon Noodles

• Ingredients
  • 2 cups extra strong bread flour (high gluten content)
  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 2/3 cup plus 3 tablespoons warm water (185ml), more if necessary
  • 2 tsp sesame oil (optional)

• Directions/Method
  1. Mix the flours and salt in a large bowl, making a well in the centre. Add all of the liquid ingredients to the well and fold the flour over to mix. Knead the dough for ten minutes, either by hand or using a bread kneading attachment in a stand mixer. The consistency of the dough should be quite firm (at first it may not seem like there’s enough water), but soft enough after kneading to be able to roll out. You may need to vary the amount of water you use slightly.
  2. Knead the dough down into a flat disk, an inch or so thick, and cover with cling film. Leave for a few hours.
  3. On a very well floured surface, roll the dough into a long 1/8 inch thick rectangular (ish) shape. Make sure there’s plenty of flour both beneath and coating the top of the dough at this point.
  4. To make the noodles the easiest thing to do is fold the dough into thirds and slice. To do this, fold one of the long ends 2/3 of the way over the width. Pick the dough up and fold the remaining third of the dough underneath. Slice into noodles as thick or thin as you like.
  5. Boil for 8-10 minutes and use immediately.

Tofu Cafreal

• Ingredients
  • 200g (7 oz) block of extra firm tofu, cut in half; weight after pressing
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 tsp grated fresh ginger
  • 1/2 tsp coriander seeds
  • 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 cardamom pod
  • 1 clove
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/8 tsp turmeric
  • 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
  • Pinch of freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/3 cup packed fresh coriander (that’s cilantro in the US)
  • 3 tbsp white vinegar

• Directions/Method
  1. Preheat your oven to 175 C (350 F).
  2. Using a pestle and mortar (or a spice/coffee grinder), grind all of the ingredients but the tofu into a paste. It won’t be perfectly smooth, so don’t worry about a few lumps. Tip the paste into a container large enough to hold the tofu pieces.
  3. Coat the tofu in the coriander paste, ensuring all sides are well covered. You can poke some holes in the tofu with toothpicks to help it soak in the liquid while you marinate, but it’s not a completely necessary step (if you’ve pressed as much liquid out as possible, the curd should soak in the marinade juices). Leave to marinate for at least an hour, flipping the tofu slabs every so often.
  4. Add a little bit of oil to the bottom of an oven proof dish. Spoon away any excess paste from the tofu and rub around in the oil to coat all sides. Top the bean curd with the remaining paste and drizzle with a little bit of oil. Bake for 20-25 minutes and serve hot with salad, bread, or your favourite Indian sides.

Baghara Baingan

• Ingredients
  • Oil, for frying
  • 8 small aubergines/eggplants
  • 1 large onion, thickly diced
  • 1 tbsp grated/minced ginger
  • 1 tbsp minced garlic
  • 1 tsp coriander seeds
  • 1 tbsp sesame seeds
  • 1 tsp mustard seeds
  • 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
  • 3 tbsp peanuts
  • 2 tbsp dessicated coconut
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp turmeric
  • 1 1/4 cup (300ml) water
  • 1 tsp tamarind paste
  • 1 tsp sugar

• Directions/Method
  1. Begin by dry-frying all of the seeds, the peanuts, and the coconut for a minute in a wok or heavy bottomed pan, until a fragrant roasted smell is present and the seeds are popping. Tip them into a blender and place the wok back on the heat.
  2. Add a bit of oil to the pan, stir frying the onion on high heat for 5-10 minutes, or until browing fairly heavily. Remove and place the onion in the liquidiser with the roasted spices. Add the garlic and ginger, uncooked, as well as the turmeric and salt to the blender. Blend into a smooth paste.
  3. Slice the eggplants from the base to an inch or so below the stem (you want to keep each aubergine in one piece). Slice once more to divide the cut into four dangling eggplanty bits, so essentially two criss-crossed cuts. Rub some of the blended paste into the aubergine, stuffing some inside. This doesn’t need to be super tidy.
  4. Heat some more oil in a large pan and fry the eggplants for five or 10 minutes, or until they begin to soften a bit.
  5. Add the tamarind paste, sugar, and the cup of water to the liquidiser with the remaining paste, and blend until mixed through. Tip the contents into the pan with the aubergines, cover, and cook on medium to medium-low for 15-20 minutes. Add more water if necessary, to keep the gravy from going too dry. Serve warm over rice or with roti.

Mocha Almond Vegan Fudge

• Ingredients
  • 100g smooth almond butter
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/8-1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 cup water (50g)
  • 1/4-1/3 cup sugar (60g-75g)
  • 2 tsp cocoa powder
  • 1/2 tsp instant coffee granules

• Directions/Method
  1. In a bowl, mix the salt (if your almond butter is already salted, err on a lesser amount or even none) with the almond butter and vanilla extract. Set aside.
  2. Heat the sugar and water in a small, heavy bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes until the sugar is dissolved and the syrup begins to thicken slightly.
  3. Add the cocoa powder and coffee granules, stirring rapidly to combine the ingredients (the mixture will bubble up in volume, but it’s not going to explode or anything, at least I hope not).
  4. Leave to cook for a few minutes, until the syrup is very sticky. Test the consistency of the syrup by placing a drop of syrup between your thumb and forefinger; a solid string should form when pressed together and pulled gently apart. This could take up to 8 or ten minutes, perhaps less.
  5. When the syrup is ready, quickly pour it into the bowl with the almond butter mixture. Incorporate all of the ingredients together into a stiff dough, ensuring everything is mixed thoroughly. You can kneed this with your hands if need be (but be careful of the heat).
  6. Spoon the dough into a greased mould (tupperware’s fine), smoothing the surface out with your fingers and/or a spatula. Smack the container on the counter a few times to eliminate large gaps in the fudge. Refrigerate for a little while to help solidify the fudge before slicing and devouring.

Hazelnut Coated Dairy Free Yoghurt Cheese Salad with Raspberry Vinaigrette

• Ingredients
  • 115g fresh raspberries
  • 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • One recipe vegan labneh
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 finely chopped hazelnuts plus 1/4 for coating
  • oil, for frying
  • handful of mint and basil leaves, cut into a chiffonade
  • 1/2 tsp sugar
  • Your favourite salad leaves
  • freshly ground black pepper

• Directions/Method
  1. First, prepare your dressing by simply placing the raspberries, vinegar, and sugar in a saucepan. Heat until the fruit begins to break down, and gently help them along by mashing with a wooden spoon as you stir. Add more sugar if it’s a bit tart for your liking, or spice it up with a pinch of thyme. Sieve the seeds out and set aside to cool.
  2. Mix the salt, the 1/2 cup hazelnuts, and the labneh together, forming into approximately 8 balls. Roll each ball in the remaining hazelnuts until coated and press to flatten slightly.
  3. Add enough oil to cover 1/2 inch of a heavy bottomed pan or wok and heat to medium. Place a few cheese rounds into the oil at a time, careful to not overcrowd the pan, and fry on each side until browned (30 seconds – 1 minutes per side).
  4. Serve on a bed of your favourite salad leaves and drizzle lightly with the dressing. Sprinkle with the mint and basil chiffonade and some freshly ground black pepper.

Vegan Cashew Yogurt and Garlic Labneh Spread

• Ingredients
  • 800 ml fresh soy milk made from 175g dried soy beans (about 440g when soaked) in 1.5 litres of water.
  • 1/2 cup cashews
  • 1/4 cup soy yoghurt (I used Alpro)

• Directions/Method
  1. Blend half of the soy milk with the cashews into a creamy purée. If you rely on a coffee mill, you can do this in smaller batches. Mix the purée with the remaining soy milk in a medium heavy bottomed saucepan.
  2. Turn the heat on under the milk, and stir constantly, testing very frequently for temperature. You’re basically looking for a temperature that’s equivalent of that to which you’d heat a baby’s milk, or around 100 degrees F or 40 C. Remove from the heat and quickly whisk in the soy yoghurt, ensuring all lumps are blended in.
  3. I make my yoghurts using my old easiyo kit, but a sterilised glass jar works just as well. Just wrap it in a towel and stick it in a warm place, such as an airing cupboard. Leave it for at least four hours, but I’d recommend at least eight in order to achieve a tangier yogurt flavour.
  4. To make the soy labneh, you’ll need either some muslin fabric (or sack) or a few sheets of cheesecloth. If you’re using muslin a single layer will be fine, but if using cheesecloth then I’d suggest two or three layers. Lay the muslin/cheesecloth in a mesh colander over a large bowl and pour the yoghurt in. For the sake of health and safety I’m going to tell you to pop this in the refrigerator and leave it overnight to strain, but know in reality this is the point at which you’d traditionally bundle the edges up, tie them, and hang the sack over a bowl or your sink for several hours or overnight. I haven’t died of food poisoning yet.
  5. To make a garlic labneh spread, simply pound 2 teaspoons of lemon juice and a clove or two of garlic in a pestle and mortar along with a large pinch of salt. Mix with the soy yogurt cheese and serve with olive oil and za’atar.

Spinach and Courgette Filo Pastry Cups

• Spinach Tartlet Ingredients
  • 1 tsp olive oil + 2 tbsp olive oil and/or vegan butter
  • 6 sheets filo pastry
  • 1/2 medium onion, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 100-150g spinach
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
  • 2-3 tbsp cashews, ground to small chunks
  • 1/2 tsp lemon juice
  • 1/2 tsp dried dill

• Courgette (Zucchini) Tartlet Ingredients
  • 1 small(ish) courgette/zucchini, thinly sliced
  • 1-2 tsp oil, to fry
  • 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 small tomatoes, thinly sliced
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1-2 tbsp freshly chopped basil

• Directions/Method
  1. Preheat oven to about 190 degrees C and lightly grease some cupcake tins.
  2. In a large saucepan, fry the onion and garlic in the 1 tsp oil. After a few minutes add a handful of spinach and mix to coat in the oil. Allow it to cook down and then add another handful. Continue until all of the spinach is cooked down, and they strain away any major liquid quantities. In a medium bowl mix the spinach with all remaining ingredients except the the 2 tbsp oil.
  3. Moving on to the ingredients for the courgette filling, Add the oil o a pan and fry the courgette with the garlic for a few minutes until just soft. Turn the heat off and add salt and basil.
  4. To prepare the pastry, first cut the 6 sheets in half across the shortest length. Stack one on top of the other and make two cuts across the longest length, dissecting the pile into thirds. Stack these and make a cut down the middle and you’ll end up with loads of rectangular pieces of pastry.
  5. Heat the remaining oil or margarine (note that you may need more) so it thins out. Brush a filo square lightly and place another directly on top. Brush again. Place another piece at a 90 degree angle on top. Brush with oil and place another one top. Layer two final pieces at a 45 degree angle, oil on each one.
  6. Gentle press the filo piles into the cupcake tin holes, ensuring you get the dough into the corners as much as possible.
  7. Distribute the spinach filling evenly among half of the tartlets, adding some breadcrumbs and/or non-dairy cheese on top if desired. For the zucchini cups, simply alternate layers of a few slices of zucchini/courgette and a slices of tomato in the remaining pastry cups.
  8. Bake for between 12-15 minutes, or until the pastry is lightly browned. For a crispier bottom, bake the pastry first before adding the filling.
  9. Serve with a nice salad or roast potatoes.

Vegan Stovetop Scalloped Potato Recipe

• Ingredients
  • 240g (1/2 lb) waxy new potatoes
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 large spring onions, finely chopped
  • 125ml soy milk plus 75ml soy yogurt
  • 450g fresh spinach
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 packed cup (around 85-100g) grated vegan cheese, preferably of the melting variety
  • 2 tbsp non dairy butter

• Directions/Method
  1. Slice the potatoes thinly and place in a single layer in a large sauté pan. Sprinkle the potatoes with the garlic and spring onions, followed by the salt. Pour the soy milk and vegan yogurt sauce over, ensuring you blanket every potato.
  2. Cover the pan and simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender when you poke with a sharp knife. The yogurt milk will curdle slightly, so don’t find yourself in shock when this happens. It’s normal and doesn’t mean your dinner’s gone off. Curdle is not always bad word!
  3. While the potatoes are cooking, steam the spinach in a tablespoon or so of water. Simply add a handful of spinach to a large saucepan with the water and heat until it cooks down. Add another handful of the leaves and when it cooks down add another handful. Continue until the spinach is cooked, then squeeze as much liquid out as possible through a strainer/colander.
  4. Use a large spatula to place the cooked potatoes in an oven proof dish, cover with the cooked spinach, the non dairy butter (just chuck it on it large dollops), and the cheese. Heat under a grill for 10-15 minutes, or until the cheese and margarine are melted.

Mushroom and Ale Pie

• Ingredients
  • Oil, to fry
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 220g-280g (3-4 cups) diced mushrooms
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 tsp dried thyme
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • 475ml (2 cups) vegan ale + 2 tbsp extra (30ml)
  • 1.5 tbsp cornflour
  • 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 2 tsp Natex or other yeast extract
  • 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
  • 30g mixed dried mushrooms
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 350g puff pastry
  • Soy milk, for brushing pastry

• Directions/Method
  1. Preheat your oven for 180° C (just over 350° F).
  2. Fry the onion in a bit of oil for about five minutes, until they begin to brown. Add the fresh mushrooms, garlic, thyme, and coriander, stirring to ensure the mushrooms are coated with the oil. Cook for 3-4 minutes, or until the mushrooms have softened and cooked down a bit.
  3. Add the 475 ml ale, vinegar, soy sauce, Natex, nutritional yeast, dried mushrooms, salt, and bay leaf. Mix thoroughly, and leave to simmer over a medium heat for 10-15 minutes.
  4. Mix the cornflour with the remaining 2 tbsp of ale to a slurry, and slowly pour into the mushroom gravy whilst stirring. The sauce should thicken quite quickly. When it does, remove from the heat and set aside.
  5. Meanwhile, prepare the puff pastry. I used a solid 350g block and rolled it to fit, but feel free to use a pre rolled sheet (and you don’t have to use as much, either. I just like loads of pastry). Place the cooked mushroom mix into a roughtly 7 x 10 inch (18 x 25 cm) oven dish and cover with the pastry so the edges just overlap.
  6. Brush the pastry with a bit of soy milk and bake for about 45 minutes, or until the pastry turns a crispy golden colour.
  7. Serve hot with your vegetarian Sunday roast, kids!

Broad Bean, Oven Roasted Tomato, and Arugula Pasta Salad

• Ingredients
  • 150g macaroni pasta
  • 150g shelled broad beans
  • a dozen or more plum or cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 3 tbsp + 1 tsp olive oil
  • 25g (a couple handfuls) arugula leaves
  • 1.5 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tbsp fresh, finely chopped basil

• Directions/Method
  1. Preheat your oven to around 175° C (350° F). Slice the tomatoes in half, coat with the 1 tsp of the olive oil, and arrange the halves cut side up on an oven tray or in a baking dish (I never deseed if I’m roasting tomatoes). Bake for anywhere between 20-45 minutes, or longer, depending on your desired tomato consistency. For a fruit with a little juice left, err on the side of 25-30ish; for a drier version go for a longer time. Check them every so often while cooking just to be sure.
  2. Meanwhile, place the beans in boiling water for somewhere in the vicinity of four or 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.
  3. Also cook the pasta as directed and mix it with the beans, rocket (arugula), lemon juice, and basil in a large bowl. Heat the remaining 3 tbsp of olive oil in a small skillet and gently fry the garlic for a minute or two before adding to the bowl as well. If you prefer raw garlic, mix it with the lemon and oil with a pestle and mortar instead of frying the garlic. I’d recommend preparing it the day before and serving as a cold salad if you do, just to allow time for the flavours to infuse and the garlic to mellow out a tad.
  4. Once the tomatoes are finished cooking, chuck them in the pasta salad too, and stir to ensure everything’s mixed evenly. Serve hot or cold!

Steamed Okara Soy Burger

• Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup TVP (textured vegetable protein)
  • 1/2 cup (approx 100g) strained okara (press as much liquid out as possible, but don’t strain yourself)
  • 1/2 cup red wine
  • 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
  • 2 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp yeast extract (like Natex)
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp each thyme, oregano, cumin, and mustard powder
  • 1/4 cup vital wheat gluten

• Directions/Method
  1. In a coffee or spice mill or food processor, grind the the TVP with the spices to a fine powder. Mix thoroughly in a large bowl with all of the other ingredients except the vital wheat gluten.
  2. Incorporate the gluten flour into the mix, kneading for about two minutes. The dough will be fairly stiff, but still workable.
  3. Divide the dough into two parts, forming each into a ball. Press each one between the palms of your hands to form a rough burger shape and place each one on greaseproof or wax paper in a steamer basket.
  4. Steam the soy burgers for 30 minutes and then proceed to use as you would any other burger (e.g. grill with vegan cheese on top).

Beer Battered Stuffed Zucchini Blossoms Recipe

• Ingredients
  • 6 zucchini (courgette) blossoms
  • 30g Daiya mozzarella style vegan cheese
  • 6 leaves each mint and basil
  • 3 tbsp nutritional yeast
  • 1/8 tsp lemon zest
  • Pinch of salt (and pepper, to taste)
  • 1/2 cup lager
  • 1/4 cup self rising flour

• Directions/Method
  1. Heat at least an inch of oil in a heavy bottomed saucepan or wok. Aim for a medium heat, hot enough for a drop of batter to sizzle and turn golden in a minute or two.
  2. Very gently open the courgette flowers and rinse them out to remove any grit inside. Break off the pistils/stamen carefully.
  3. In one bowl mix the beer and the flour to make a thin batter (about the thickness of cream, give or take a few degrees of density). In another bowl mix all of the other ingredients well.
  4. Carefully put about 1 heaped tsp (or, you know, whatever the mix is divided by 6) into the center of each of the zucchini blossoms. My preference is to use my fingers over a spoon so I can push the mix deep into the flower. Twist the top of the blossom to seal (the world won’t end if it’s not perfectly sealed).
  5. Lightly drag each flower through the batter, coating all external surfaces, and place a few at a time into the hot oil (don’t over crowd). Fry for a minute or two, turned over if necessary to fry both sides.
  6. Allow the fat to drain off as much as possible when you remove the courgette flowers from the oil, and place on a tempura rack or paper towels while you fry the remaining blossoms.
  7. Serve hot, with a wedge of lemon.

Boozy Summer Punch Strawberry Apple Sauce

• Ingredients
  • 3 large tart cooking apples (such as Bramley), peeled and cored
  • 1.5 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 1/4c (60ml) Pimm’s
  • 200g (0.7oz) fresh strawberries, hulled and halved
  • 2 tbsp palm sugar, or to taste (use brown sugar if you must)
  • 3/4 tsp Vietnamese (Saigon) cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp ground ginger
  • 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
  • Vanilla soy yoghurt (optional, for layering)

• Directions/Method
  1. Slice the apples into 1/4-1/3 inch pieces and place them in a large saucepan with the lemon juice and Pimm’s. Cook over low heat for about 15 minutes, stirring often, until the volume decreases slightly.
  2. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir through, cover the saucepan, and leave to cook until the strawberries are cooked down and the apples are very soft. Remove the applesauce from the heat and set aside to cool.
  3. Once cooled, blend the strawberry applesauce with a hand blender, liquidiser, or food processor to your desired consistency. Chill to cool and serve layered with vanilla soy yoghurt or on its own.

Sherry Baby Cheeseless Ball in a Cranberry Walnut Shell

• Ingredients
  • 1 cup cashews (approx 150g)
  • 1 cup packed vegan cheddar “cheese” (Cheezly or Sheese are my recs)
  • 1-1.5 tsp salt
  • 3 tbsp medium sherry
  • 1 tsp lemon juice
  • About 1/2 cup mixed chopped walnuts and dried cranberries

• Directions/Method
  1. Grind the cashews finely in a nut grinder or mini food processor and mix well with the vegan cheese, salt, sherry, and lemon juice. This will result in a thick paste that’s very sticky, and it’ll seem impossible to form it into anything other than a dip (which is fine; it’s also good as a dip). To form a cheese ball, which I swear is doable, grab all of the mixture in your hands and sort of toss it lightly back and forth to form a spherical mass of cheeseless awesomeness.
  2. Chop the nuts and cranberries together into fine crumbs (a few larger chunks are okay) on a cutting board, and roll carefully roll the cheese ball around, pressing lightly so the coating sticks.
  3. If you want to firm this sucker up, pop it in the freezer for a little while! Serve with crackers, cut veggies, or even with pasta.

Summer Tomato and Avocado Tart

• Ingredients
  • 2 avocados, sliced lengthways to 1/4 inch
  • 1/2 tbsp lemon or lime juice
  • 400g cherry or baby plum tomatoes, sliced 1/4 to 1/2 inch, stem to base.
  • 5 cloves garlic, thinly sliced (notice a theme here?)
  • 2 tsp olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp dried oregano
  • Approx 350g puff pastry
  • A few basil leaves to garnish (optional)

• Directions/Method
  1. Preheat the oven to 200° C (400° F) and roll the pastry to a thin sheet on a baking tray.
  2. In one bowl, combine the sliced avocados with the citrus juice (it will keep the avocado from browning). If you’re worried about accidentally mashing the avocado slices, just use your fingers to lightly rub the juice on all surfaces.
  3. Combine the oil, garlic, and oregano in a medium bowl. Add the tomatoes and stir to coat with the oil mixture.
  4. Place the tomato halves on the pastry in a single layer. If they don’t cover the whole pastry, that’s okay! Bake for 10 minutes before removing and quickly placing the sliced avocado on top. Return to the oven and bake for a further 8-10 minutes, until the pastry is lightly and uniformly browned. Remove and serve warm.

Southwestern Style New Potatoes on a Bed of Lightly Salted Spinach

• Ingredients
  • 500g fresh spinach
  • Around a kilo (2 lbs), give or take waxy new potatoes
  • 1 medium yellow onion, diced
  • 1/2 cup frozen corn
  • 1/2 tsp oregano
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp flaked sea salt
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 4 spring onions, diced (white and light green parts only)
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • A a few drops of liquid smoke
  • Oil, to fry
  • Your favourite vegan butter
  • Meltable vegan cheese (optional but recommended)

• Directions/Method
  1. If you’re planning to melt some extra cheese on top, preheat the oven to 200° (or stick the grill on- that’s broiler to Americans I think). Otherwise there’s no need to turn the oven on.
  2. Boil the potatoes until done, drain, and then cut them into bite sized chunks.
  3. While the potatoes are boiling, place the spinach in a large saucepan with a tablespoon or two of water. To ensure ensure all the spinach leaves are coated with water, stir occasionally. If you don’t have that large of a pan, just add the spinach in a handful at a time each time the preceeding addition cooks down. Once the spinach is just cooked and wilted, remove from the heat and press as much water out as you can.
  4. Heat a bit of oil in a large pan or wok on a fairly high heat and fry the onion for a couple of minutes, until transparent and lightly browned. Add the corn, oregano, cumin, half of the salt, plus the garlic, and fry another minute or two. Remove from the heat and add the lime juice and liquid smoke.
  5. To put the dish together, layer the spinach on the bottom of an oven proof dish (only if you’re using cheese; otherwise layer this baby up on your dinner plates) and sprinkle with the remaining salt. Top this with the new potatoes and a few healthy dollops of that creamy vegan butter sub before spooning that corn and onion mix on top (the spring onions, too, if you’re not laying some cheez down first). If you’re using the vegan cheese then chuck a few handfuls of that on, along with your spring onions. Bake for just ten minutes or so, enough time for the cheese to melt.

Sour Cheatin’ Potato Salad (Vegan Sour Cream Potato Salad)

• Ingredients
  • 675-900g (1.5-2 lb) new potatos
  • 1 stick celery, diced
  • 1/3 medium onion, diced
  • 120ml (1/2 c) vegan yoghurt
  • 60ml (1/4 c) vegan mayonnaise
  • 2 tbsp branston pickle (sweet pickle mix)
  • 1 tsp white wine vinegar
  • 1 tsp dijon mustard
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1 tsp dried dill
  • 1/4-1/2 tsp salt

• Directions/Method
  1. Cook the new potatoes and cut into smaller dice if they’re too big to stuff into your facehole in one bite. Drain and set aside to cool for a little while.
  2. Stir all all of the remaining ingredients together in a large bowl until combined with no lumps. Add the potatoes and mix through until the sauce covers the spuds.
  3. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Hint: a night in the fridge will make it taste lots better.

Chocolate Strawberry Cookies

• Ingredients
  • 140g (1 cup) all purpose flour
  • pinch of salt
  • 2 tbsp sugar
  • 1/3 cup margarine (approx 70g Pure brand)
  • 1 tbsp water
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • Very finely chopped or grated dark chocolate
  • A few strawberries, sliced thinly
  • A bit of extra sugar

• Directions/Method
  1. Preheat the oven to 175° C (350° F).
  2. Sift the flour, salt, and sugar into the bowl of a food processor. Add the butter while pulsing, until crumbs begin to form. Pour in the water and vanilla, and pulse again briefly to bring the dough together.
  3. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to a very thin 1/16th inch thickness and cut into 2.5-3 inch squares. Lay a slice of strawberry in the centre of each, along with a pinch of sugar and a sprinkle of chocolate (maybe 1/8 tsp of each).
  4. Fold each of the four corners of the pastry into the centre, pressing lightly together to hold if necessary. Place the mini tarts on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes, until the pastry is ever so slightly beginning to brown.
  5. Cool or eat hot, your choice.

Vegan Spinach Börek Recipe

• Ingredients
  • 450g fresh spinach
  • 1/2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, halved and thinly sliced
  • 3 cloves of garlic, minced
  • a lemon (for juice and zest)
  • 40-50g (about 1/2 cup) non-dairy cheese or nuts
  • 1 tbsp pomegranate molasses
  • 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 tsp paprika
  • 1/8 tsp allspice
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp corn flour
  • 4 sheets of filo pastry + 3 tbsp melted vegan butter and/or olive oil
  • 60-80 ml vegan yoghurt (1/4-1/3 cup)
  • More salt, to taste
  • Za’atar or sumac, to garnish (optional)

• Directions/Method
  1. Preheat the oven to 2oo° C (400° F) and lightly grease a baking sheet.
  2. Make the yoghurt sauce first by pounding, in a pestle and mortar, around 2 tsp of lemon juice with about 1 clove worth of garlic into a paste (if the taste of raw garlic is too much for you, feel free to fry it a little first). Add the yoghurt, plus salt to taste, and stir to combine well. Set aside.
  3. Steam the spinach by placing it in a large stockpot with a tablespoon of water. Cover and cook over medium heat until the leaves are wilted. Stir it every minute or so to expose all leaves to the water. Drain and press out as much of the excess water as possible. Place in a large bowl.
  4. Fry the onion over medium heat for two or 3 minutes in the 1/2 tbsp olive oil, until soft. Add the rest of the garlic and cook a further 30 seconds to 1 minute until fragrant but not burnt. Remove from the heat and place the onion mix in the bowl with the spinach.
  5. Add around 1/2 tbsp of freshly squeezed lemon juice and 1/4 a teaspoon or so of zest. Also toss in the vegan cheese, pomegranate molasses, nutmeg, paprika, allspice, salt, and corn flour. Mix well.
  6. Melt the vegan butter and have ready. Place 4 sheets of filo pastry on your counter surface and cut across the middle of the shortest length, leaving you with 8 even sized sheets of pastry. Place one stack on top of the other to begin the process of rolling the cigar pastries.
  7. To make the roll, brush the pastry liberally with the melted butter and place two or 3 tablespoons of the spinach filling along one of the edges. Roll once or twice, fold in the sides, and continue to roll all the way up. Place on the baking tray and continue the process until all of the pastry has been used. Brush the filo cigars with the remaining butter/oil.
  8. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the pastries are lightly browned and crispy. Serve with some of the yoghurt sauce poured over and garnished with za’atar seasoning, if desired.

Savoury Sweet Potato Pies

• Ingredients
  • About 250g sweet potato, peeled and sliced
  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • a block of puff pastry
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 medium onion, sliced
  • 1 stick celery, diced
  • a few sprigs of fresh thyme and 15-20 fresh sage leaves (or a mix of the two dried, about 3/4 tsp)
  • 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 1/2 tbsp flour
  • Approx 1/4 cup (60ml) soy milk
  • 1 tsp dijon mustard
  • 50g vegan cheddar

• Directions/Method
  1. Preheat the oven to 200° C (400° F).
  2. Steam the sweet potato for 8-10 minutes, or until well done (you should be able to put a knife through with no resistance).
  3. Heat the olive oil over medium-low heat in a large saucepan. Slowly fry the onion and celery for 15 minutes, with a lid on, until lightly browned (a little burnt is okay). You may want to stir once or twice in the process. Add the garlic and herbs and cook for a further minutes before mixing in the vinegar.
  4. Once the vinegar has cooked down and the mixture is nearing dry again (a minute or two), add the flour and stir until evenly distrubuted through the pan. Slowly whisk in the soy milk until the flour is dissolved and the sauce thickens. Add the mustard and cheese, stirring to mix to a thick sauce. Turn off the heat and set aside.
  5. Roll your puff pastry to very thinly, perhaps 2-3mm, and cut several 5-6 inch rounds out. The recipe makes five or 6 pies, so start with ten rounds of pastry.
  6. To assemble, you can either mash the sweet potato and simply layer a few small pieces in the centre of a piece of pastry. Top with 2 tablespoons or so of the onion sauce. Brush the edges of the pastry with water and place a second round on top, pressing the sides down to seal. Flatten the pie slightly with the palm of your hand and press the edges with a fork.
  7. Place the pies, once assembled, on a lightly greased baking sheet, brushing with a bit of extra soy milk. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the pies are well browned with minimal burn.

Mushroom and Asparagus Udon Noodles

• Ingredients
  • 2 dried shiitake mushrooms
  • 2 cups boiling water
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tsp mirin
  • pinch of salt
  • 1 tsp groundnut (peanut) oil
  • udon noodles for two
  • 2 large open cap mushrooms (field or portobello are fine)
  • 125g asparagus tips
  • 1 small onion, halved and sliced
  • toasted sesame seeds
  • chives and/or spring onions
  • pickled ginger, sliced into thin lengths

• Directions/Method
  1. Place the dried shiitake mushrooms in a small saucepan over low heat. Pour the boiling water over and leave for 20-30 minutes. Remove the mushrooms, pressing as much liquid out as possible, and set aside to cool for a few minutes. Once cooled, trim the stem off, slice the caps, and place them back in the broth. Add the soy sauce, mirin, and salt.
  2. Prepare your noodles per the package instructions.
  3. Heat a wok to a high temperature and add the oil. Stir fry the onion and asparagus for 3-4 minutes. I tend to steam the fresh mushroom, but if you’d rather omit this step you can chuck them in the wok, too.
  4. To serve, place the noodles on a plate with a curved lip, or in a bowl, alongside the steamed mushrooms and stir fried vegetables. Pour the dashi broth over the noodles and garnish with slivers of pickled ginger, toasted sesame seeds, and spring onions or chives. Sprinkle with a little bit of sesame oil for added flavour.

Mock Chicken and Corn Taquitos

• Ingredients
  • 18-22 corn tortillas, for frying
  • Toothpicks, for binding taquitos
  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • Enough canola/rapeseed or peanut/groundnut oil for minimum 1/2 inch depth in your frying vessel
  • 70g (1/2 cup) frozen corn
  • 1 heaped cup thinly sliced vegan chicken
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 1/2 cup packed vegan cheese
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • juice of one lime (around 1 tbsp)
  • 1 tsp chili seasoning powder
  • 3/4 tsp ground cumin
  • 1/2 tsp dried oregano
  • 1/8 tsp chipotle chili powder
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • Vegan yoghurt
  • Salsa
  • Shredded lettuce
  • salt, to taste

• Directions/Method
  1. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet, frying the onion over medium heat for 5 minutes (or until lightly browned), stirring often. Add the garlic, oregano, and spices. Cook another minute until fragrant and then add the corn plus 2 tablespoons of water and the tomato paste.
  2. Continue to cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture is fairly dry, about 5 minutes. Add the lime juice and cook a minute or two before removing from the heat.
  3. Heat oil to fry to around 175° C (350° F) in a large skillet or wok.
  4. To assmble the taquitos you must first make the corn tortillas pliable by heating them on a skillet for a few seconds on each side. Place somewhere in the vicinity of a couple of tablespoons of filling toward the far edge of a tortilla, ensuring it’s not too close to the edges (else it’ll fall out when fried). Roll the tortillas tightly and place a toothpick through the centre to hold.
  5. Repeat with the remaining tortillas. You should be able to fit two or three taquitos per toothpick.
  6. Carefully lower a toothpick’s worth of taquitos into the oil. If there’s not enough oil to cover them, that’s okay. After a minute, carefully turn them over and fry for one more minute. Remove with a slotted spoon or tongs, draining as much oil away as possible before setting them on a wire wrack or paper towels.
  7. Continue until all taquitos are fried. Serve garnished with soya yoghurt (a great sour cream alternative), lettuce, and tomato salsa.

Butternut Squash Pasta Bake

• Ingredients
  • 280g (9.25 oz) butternut squash, steamed
  • 230g (approx 3 cups) pasta
  • 240ml (1 cup) your favourite basic tomato sauce (homemade is always best)
  • 1 tbsp tomato paste
  • 15g 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
  • 40g 1/4 cup cashews
  • 1/3 – 1/2 cup unsweetened non-dairy milk
  • 1/2 tsp salt

• Directions/Method
  1. Preheat the oven to 175° C (350° F).
  2. Steam the butternut squash, or cook using your preferred method, until you can put a knife through it without resistance. In a food processor or liquidiser, blend the tomato sauce and paste, squash, nutritional yeast, cashews, salt and milk until smooth and creamy.
  3. Add the pasta to a pot a boiling water and cook to super al-dente, a la just a few short minutes. No more than five. Drain and mix with the sauce in an oven proof dish.
  4. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the top of the pasta just begins to brown. If desired, sprinkle some vegan cheese and breadcrumbs on top for added texture and eye appeal! Serve on its own or with a mixed salad.

Tangy Quinoa with Samphire

• Ingredients
  • 85 g(1/2 cup) quinoa
  • 110g marsh samphire
  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • 1 medium purple onion, diced
  • Juice of one lemon (Around 45ml or 3 tbsp)
  • 1-2 cloves garlic
  • 1 tsp dried dill
  • 1/2 tsp brown sugar or honey substitute
  • 1/4 tsp liquid smoke (optional but recommended)
  • A handfull of freshly chopped parsley
  • salt, to taste

• Directions/Method
  1. Rinse and cook quinoa as directed on packet (a general rule is twice the quantity of water to quinoa, over medium heat for about 15 minutes). While the quinoa is cooking, prepare the other ingredients and set a separate pot of water to boil for the samphire.
  2. Pound the garlic and lemon together in a pestle and mortar before adding dill, sweetener, and liquid smoke, if using (you could also use a smoky paprika).
  3. Fry the diced onion in the olive oil for 5 minutes over medium heat, stirring often, until translucent. Turn the heat to low, adding the lemon paste and any salt you wish. Cook for a further minute or two, just to tone down the intensity of the fresh garlic.
  4. Meanwhile, add the samphire to the pot of boiling water to blanch for two minutes. Drain and add, along with the quinoa (which, may I remind you, should also be drained first) and parsley, to the onion mix. Stir until the quiona and samphire are coated with the sauce, and serve warm.

Vegan Banana Bars Recipe

• Ingredients
  • 1 ripe banana
  • 60ml (1/4 cup) non dairy yoghurt
  • 165g (3/4 cup) sugar
  • 30 ml (2 tbsp) apple sauce
  • 30g (2 tbsp) vegan margarine
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 280g (2 cups) all purpose flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp mixed spice
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 75g (1/2 cup) icing sugar
  • 1/5 tbsp peanut butter
  • 1 tsp non dairy milk

• Directions/Method
  1. Preheat your oven to 175° C (350° F). Lightly grease a 10 x 15 inch jelly roll tin.
  2. Mash the banana in a bowl until only small lumps remain and it’s liquidy. Whisk into the sugar, apple sauce, margarine, yoghurt, and vanilla and mix until smooth-ish (a few lumps are fine).
  3. Add the flour, baking powder, mixed spice, and salt while slowly mixing until all of the ingredients are combined. Lick fingers multiple times.
  4. Spread the batter, which will be fairly thick, as well as possible across the entire jelly roll sheet. Use a spatula or your hands to make it as level as possible, but it really doesn’t have to be perfectly even so don’t fuss too much over this detail.
  5. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until the top is just browned. Remove from the oven and place on a cooling rack to, you guessed it, cool.
  6. To make the peanut butter icing, simply combine the icing sugar, peanut butter, and non dairy milk. The icing is quite stiff, so if you want a more spreadable consistency you will need to add some more liquid. Pipe the icing in random patterns over the banana bars, cut, and serve.

Oven Baked Avocado “Avostack” Recipe

• Ingredients
  • 2 avocados
  • 5ml (1 tsp) vegan worcestershire
  • 40g (2 tbsp) vegan yoghurt
  • 20g (2 tbsp) finely ground cashew nuts
  • 15 ml (1 tbsp) lemon juice
  • 1/4 tsp liquid sweetener (such as agave or maple syrup)
  • 1 small clove garlic
  • 15g (1 tbsp) vegan butter
  • 20g (3/4 oz) celery
  • 20g (3/4 oz)carrot
  • 1 small shallot
  • 60-80ml (1/4-1/3 cup) your favourite tomato based sauce
  • 1 tbsp freshly chopped basil
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • Extra lemon juice for avocados

• Directions/Method
  1. Preheat your oven to 150° C (300° F) while preparing the vegetables. Thinly julienne the carrot and celery and dice the shallots very finely. Melt the butter over medium heat and lightly fry the vegetables for five minutes, or until soft. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Set aside and cover to keep warm.
  2. Use a nut grinder or pestle and mortar to blend the yoghurt, cashews, lemon juice, sweetener, and garlic into a smooth and runny-ish paste.
  3. De-seed the avocados and slice each one into four slices lengthways (yes, that’s halving each half). Brush all sides with a bit of lemon juice to prevent any browning. Place on a tray and bake for 8 minutes.
  4. While the avocado is baking, heat the tomato sauce. Get two plates ready, warmed if possible.
  5. Spoon the vegetable mixture evenly into the centre of each plate, spreading to about a 10cm oblong circle. Drizzle with some of the creamy yoghurt sauce. Top with some of the fresh basil.
  6. Place a slice of avocado on each and spoon about a teaspoon of sauce over. Repeat with remaining avocado until each plate has 4 slices stacked. Top with some more tomato sauce and drizzle some more of the yoghurt sauce over. Sprinkle with the rest of the basil and serve warm.

Hazelnut Encrusted Vegan Cheese

• Ingredients
  • Peanut or vegetable oil, to fry
  • Approx 60g (1/4 cup) vegan cream cheese such as Tofutti
  • 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh chives
  • 2.5 tbsp finely ground cashews
  • 2 tbsp roughly chopped hazelnuts
  • 1 tsp cornflour
  • salt, to taste

• Directions/Method
  1. Preheat at least an inch of oil in a wok (or user a deep fryer if you have one) to a medium temperature of around 150-175° C (300-350° F).
  2. Mix the the cornflour and hazelnuts in a bowl or on a small plate. Set aside.
  3. Combine the cheese, nutritional yeast, cashew, garlic, salt, and chives in a small bowl. Spoon heaped tablespoons into a ball and roll in the hazelnut mixture to cover. Flatten slightly into a thick disc shape. If the consistency seems too runny, add some more ground nuts (but don’t worry about it being too solid; once rolled in the nut mixture it’ll stop being sticky and will be more manageable).
  4. Place the cheeses into the hot oil, frying for about a minute or two until just browned. Flip if the oil doesn’t cover the top. Remove with a slotted spoon, allowing as much oil as possible to drain off. Serve hot on salad or on its own.

Vegan Mincemeat Bonbon Cookies

• Ingredients
  • 100g (1/2 cup) low or no salt vegan butter substitute
  • 105g (3/4 cup) icing sugar (confectioners’ sugar)
  • 1 tbsp vanilla or almond flavour
  • Food colouring (optional)
  • 215g (1 1/2 cups) all purpose flour
  • 1/8 tsp salt
  • Mincemeat
  • (140g) 1 cup icing sugar
  • 2 tbsp soy milk (or your favourite non dairy drink)
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • A few drops of colouring, if desired

• Directions/Method
  1. Preheat your oven to 175 ° C (350 ° F).
  2. Sift the icing sugar into a large bowl and mix with the butter, vanilla, and food colouring until well combined. Add the flour and salt, blending until the mix just sticks together (you may need to add a drop of water or soy milk to achieve this).
  3. Scoop tablespoon sized pieces of dough and roll into a rough ball shape. Flatten in the palm of your hand and add about 1/8-1/4 a teaspoon mincemeat in the centre. Fold the sides up and gently roll back into a smooth ball.
  4. Place each cookie at least an inch apart on a baking sheet (don’t worry about greasing it) and bake for 12-14 minutes. Try not to let the cookies brown!
  5. While the cookies are cooling on a cooling rack, make the icing by sifting the additional cup of icing sugar and mixing with the extra 1 tsp vanilla, soy milk, and colouring. Once the cookies are cooled, drizzle the icing over each one with a spoon or pipe it over. Add sprinkles, mini candies, nuts, fruit, or any other creative edible you can think of for decoration!

Sesame Tahini Miso Salad Dressing

• Ingredients
  • 1 tbsp white miso
  • 1 tbsp soya yoghurt
  • 1 tbsp medium sherry
  • 1 tbsp veg worcestershire
  • 1 tsp dark miso
  • 1 tsp tahini
  • 1 tsp maple syrup
  • Sesame seeds, to garnish (optional)

• Directions/Method
  1. Blend or mix all ingredients thoroughly, either by hand or in a small blender or spice mill. Serve on a crunchy green salad, tossing in some toasted sesame seeds for extra nom factor.

Italian Okara Meatballs

• Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon (75g) vital wheat gluten
  • 1/4 cup (30g) oatmeal, ground to a fine powder
  • 1/4 tsp each oregano, thyme, and celery salt
  • 1/2 cup fresh okara, as much liquid squeezed out as possible
  • 90g chopped onion (about one smallish onion)
  • 1 tbsp (15ml) vegan worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tbsp (15ml) ketchup
  • 2 tsp Natex or yeast extract spread
  • 2 cloves fresh garlic, smashed
  • 1/2 tsp dijon mustard

• Directions/Method
  1. Mix the dry ingredients, the gluten flour, spices, and oatmeal powder (use a grinder or blender/liquidiser to grind whole oats) in a medium bowl.
  2. Make a paste out of all the remaining ingredients by placing all but the okara in a spice mill or blender. Remove and stir okara in until mixed.
  3. Add the okara mix to the dry mix and stir until all of the ingredients begin to mix. You can also use your hands if you’d like, but be sure not to overknead the dough.
  4. Form into small balls and steam for 25-30 minutes. When you’re ready to eat the vegan meatballs, simply fry them up in a little oil or add to your favourite sauce to serve with pasta!

Tofu Drop Miso Soup in Mushroom Dashi

• Ingredients
  • 400ml hot water
  • 1 dried shiitake mushroom
  • 1 small piece of kombu
  • 1.5 tbsp each white and dark miso (I use barley)
  • 1/2 tsp sesame oil
  • 80g (1/4 cup) silken tofu
  • 1.5 tbsp plain white flour
  • 1/8 tsp black salt
  • pinch of turmeric
  • 1 spring onion, sliced thinly

• Directions/Method
  1. To make the dashi place the mushroom, kombu and water into a small saucepan. Simmer over low heat for 20 minutes or so. If you’re not super keen on the kombu flavour, you can minimise its time in the broth (I generally add it for just 5-10 minutes).
  2. Meanwhile whisk the silken tofu, flour, black salt, and turmeric in a small bowl, until smooth.
  3. Remove the mushroom and kombu from the water and set the mushroom aside to cool. Add the miso pastes and sesame oil to the pot, ensuring it’s well mixed. Try not to over heat the mixture, ensuring it stays below a boil at all times (or you risk killing some of what’s good in miso).
  4. Stir the soup and then slowly pour the tofu mixture into the pot. Don’t worry if it doesn’t come out in a smooth stream; lumps are okay. Cut the stem off of the mushroom, which should now be dry, and slice or dice the head before chucking it back into the soup as well.
  5. Serve warm with spring onion (scallion) to garnish.

Broccoli Potsticker Dumplings

• Ingredients
  • 10 gyoza dumpling wrappers
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1/2 tsp sri racha
  • 1/2 tsp brown sugar
  • 1 tsp corn starch
  • 80g (1 cup) finely chopped broccoli
  • 1/2 tbsp groundnut (peanut) oil plus 1 tbsp extra
  • 1.5-2 tsp minced ginger
  • 1 cloved minced garlic
  • 3 finely diced spring onions (white and light green parts only). About 1/4 cup.
  • 2 tbsp (25g) okara (use firm tofu, crumbled, if you don’t have okara)
  • About 1/3 C water (80ml)
  • salt, to taste

• Directions/Method
  1. Mix the soy sauce, sri racha, brown sugar, corn starch, and salt together and set aside.
  2. Heat 1/2 tbsp of oil over medium high heat and fry the broccoli for a few minutes, until it begins to brown. Turn the heat down and add the ginger, garlic and spring onions. Fry 30 seconds, or until fragrant. Add the okara/tofu, along with the soy sauce mixture (stir it up first). The mixture will thicken at this point. Remove and set aside to cool a bit.
  3. Once the potsticker filling is cooled, fill each dumpling wrapper with 1.5-2 tsp of filling, placing the filling in the centre and folding the pastry over into a half moon shape. Gently but firmly pleat the edges (if they aren’t sticking, simply brush some water around them).
  4. Heat the other 1 tbsp of oil in a 9 or 10 inch skillet to a medium-high heat, swirling the oil to coat the pan. Place the dumplings, pleated side up, in the hot oil for about a minute or until the bottoms brown. Add the water and quickly cover the pan, leaving the dumplings to steam until all of the water is gone (about 3-5 minutes).
  5. Serve hot, with soy sauce or your favourite Asian condiment.

Vegan Twice Baked Potatoes

• Ingredients
  • 2 medium baking potatoes
  • 1 tsp oil
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 3 tbsp (45 ml) soya yoghurt
  • 1 tbsp vegan butter
  • 2 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 1/4 – 1/2 tsp salt, depending on taste
  • 1 tsp dark miso paste (I used barley miso)
  • 1 tbsp sherry

• Directions/Method
  1. Pierce the skin of the potatoes about a dozen times with a sharp knife and simply bake the potatoes at 200° for about an hour. You can tell if the potatoes are done or not by inserting a knife into the potato. Once baked, remove the potatoes from the oven and cut each one in half. Allow to cool for a few minutes.
  2. While the potatoes are cooling, heat the oil to medium heat in a saucepan and toss the onions in. Cover and leave for ten minutes, stirring halfway through. Add the garlic and fry for one more minute before adding the onion and garlic mixture to a large bowl.
  3. Scoop the potato out of the skins into the bowl with the above mixture. It’s okay if a little potato is still left on the skins; better that than breaking the skins! Add all the rest of the ingredients into the bowl and mash well (a few lumps of potato are ok).
  4. Re-fill the potato skins with the mashed potato mixture. If you’re feeling creative you can use a pastry bag or a fork to create a design on the top. Or you can just plop it in with a spoon.
  5. Place the skins on a tray and pop the potatoes back in the oven (which you shouldn’t have turned off, by the way) for another 15-20 minutes, or until the top of the mash begins to brown.
  6. Enjoy with a great big salad or even a burger (veggie, of course)!

Dairy Free Chocolate Ice Cream

• Ingredients
  • 150g (1 cup) cashews
  • 300ml (1 1/4 cups) non dairy milk
  • 1/4 cup cocoa powder
  • 60ml (1/4 cup) agave nectar or other liquid sweetener (rice syrup, fruit syrup, etc…)
  • 60ml (1/4 cup) maple syrup
  • 15g (1 tbsp) coconut oil
  • 15ml (one tablespoon or 1 fl oz) vodka or your favourite spirit

• Directions/Method
  1. Grind the cashew to as fine a powder (or paste) as possible in a grinder. If you don’t have one, soak the cashews in hot water for half an hour or for a few hours (overnight even) in the soy milk in order to soften them so they blend smoothly (if you have a vitamix, obviously you can blend diamonds to a fine powder in .000001 seconds, so you can ignore this).
  2. In a blender, combine the cashew with all other ingredients and blend until smooth, a couple of minutes. Refrigerate until cold (it will thicken considerably). You can eliminate the alcohol if you’d like, but I always recommend it for home freezers because it helps to keep homemade ice cream softer (commercial freezers circulate air better so it’s less of an issue).
  3. Use the mix as per your ice cream maker’s instructions and freeze.

Lebanese Moussaka

• Ingredients
  • 2 small aubergines (eggplants) or one large, slices into 1/4 inch rounds
  • 2 tbsp olive oil + 1 tsp
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 400g tin of tomatos
  • 1/2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1.5 tsp sugar
  • 1/2-3/4 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp lemon juice (freshly squeezed is best)
  • 1 tbsp pomegranate molasses
  • 400g tin of chickpeas
  • Handful of fresh parsley leaves, chopped

• Directions/Method
  1. Preheat the oven to 250° Celcius (475° F). Use the 2 tbsp of olive oil to brush both sides of the aubergine (eggplant) slices and bake for about 8 minutes. Turn the slices over and cook a further 8 minutes. The aubergine rounds should be shriveled and slightly brown. When they’re finished, remove from the oven and set aside.
  2. While the eggplant is a-cookin’, sauté the garlic in that other 1 tsp of olive oil (use a large sauté pan or skillet frying pan) for 30 seconds. Add the can of tomato (you can use fresh ones if they’re in season but otherwise for fullness of flavour I recommend tinned) along with the tomato paste, sugar, salt, and lemon juice. Simmer over medium heat for five minutes before adding the pomegranate molasses, chickpeas, and aubergine slices.
  3. Allow the stew to continue simmering for another 10-15 minutes, tossing in most of the parsley (reserve some if you want to garnish) just a few minutes before serving.
  4. Serve hot or cold (it’s actually quite a nice picnic food) and try not to drool too much.

Vegan Breakfast Samosas

• Ingredients
  • 10 samosa pastry wrappers
  • flour/water paste to bind samosas
  • 4 slices facon (vegan bacon), diced
  • 100g mushrooms, diced
  • 80g medium soft tofu
  • 1 small onion, finely diced
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1/4 tsp black salt
  • 1/4 tsp ground coriander
  • Peanut/groundnut oil, to deep fry

• Directions/Method
  1. Add a splash of oil to a large wok or frying pan and cook the mushrooms and onion over a medium high heat for a minute or so. Add the facon and crumble the tofu into the pan. Continue to fry for four or 5 minutes, or until the mixture begins to look dry and slightly browning. Mix in the coriander, salt, and garlic, cooking for a further 30 seconds. Remove from heat and set aside to cool for 15 or 20 minutes.
  2. Heat a few inches of oil in a wok or deep fryer to a medium heat.
  3. Make your samosas by placing about 1-2 tablespoons of filling in the corner of each strip of pastry, with the basic gist being to roll the pastry into a triangle.
  4. You can fry a few samosas at a time, but don’t overload the pan (nothing should be on top of anything else). Fry until golden brown and crispy (this shouldn’t take very long at all). Drain the best you can and, if possible, place on a mesh or tempura rack while making the other breakfast samosas. You can use paper towels too, but the samosas may not retain their crispness so much.
  5. Eat hot or cold, with your favourite sauces (a mix of ketchup and mayo is good, as is salsa) or plain.

Vegan Cream of Mushroom Soup

• Ingredients
  • 2 tbsp vegan butter
  • 1 small onion, diced
  • 1 stick of celery, diced
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 250g button mushrooms, diced, plus a couple spare
  • 20g dried mushrooms (I used a mixture of shiitake plus a field mushroom mix)
  • 600ml vegetable stock
  • 100ml white wine
  • 1 tsp salt (maybe less if you use a very salty stock)
  • 1/2 cup single cream (120ml)

• Directions/Method
  1. In a large saucepan fry the diced onion and celery over medium heat for 5 minutes, until soft. Dice the mushrooms, leaving the spares aside, and add them to the pan. Cook another few minutes before adding the minced garlic.
  2. After a minute, turn the heat down to medium low and add the stock, wine, and dried mushrooms. Cover with a fitted lid and leave to simmer for 20-25 minutes.
  3. Allow the soup to cool before liquidising it in a blender or food processor. Add the vegan cream and blend until smooth and mixed. If you want a slightly more runny soup, add some more stock or water at this point.
  4. Slice the spare mushrooms thinly and add them them to the pan along with the blended soup. Reheat for 15-20 minutes (enough time for the newly added mushrooms to cook).
  5. Serve hot with a chunk of crusty bread.

Sesame Wonton Crackers

• Ingredients
  • Approx 15 square wonton skins
  • 2 tbsp non dairy milk plus 1 tbsp cornflour
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • 1/2 tsp soy sauce
  • 1/2 tsp sugar
  • Sea salt flakes and/or sugar, to coat

• Directions/Method
  1. Preheat the oven to 150 C (300 F).
  2. Slice the wonton skins from one corner to the other, creating 30 halves.
  3. Mix all other ingredients but the optional salt and/or sugar for coating. Ensure the sugar is dissolved (hence castor sugar is a good option).
  4. Arrange the skins on a baking tray, coating each side with the liquid mixture. You can do this with a pastry brush or by simply dipping the skins in the sauce before placing on the tray. If you’d like, throw a few flakes more salt and/or sugar on the soon to be crackers (a mix of both is my favourite).
  5. Bake for about 10 minutes, turning the tray halfway through (so for you maths whizzes out there, that’s 5 minutes first and then 5 more minutes after turning the tray around).
  6. Remove and all to cool for a few minutes before serving.

Son in Law Tofu (Tao Hoo Luk Kheuy)

• Ingredients
  • About 100g (3.5 oz) firm tofu, cut into four (or 8 smaller) squares
  • 1-2 tbsp corn flour
  • 1 tbsp brown sugar
  • 2 tsp tamarind concentrate paste + 2 tbsp water
  • 1 tsp soy sauce
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 medium shallot, thinly sliced
  • 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
  • Peanut/Groundnut oil for frying

• Directions/Method
  1. Before you begin, heat an inch or two of oil in a wok to about 175-190 C (350-375 F), or use a deep fryer if you have one. In a small saucepan, combine the brown sugar, tamarind paste, water, soy sauce and salt. Bring to a medium high heat and cook for about 5 minutes, or until just thickening a little.
  2. When the oil is heated, add the shallots and fry for a minute or two until they just start to brown. Remove them quickly with a slotted spoon and place on paper towels or a mesh screen at this point so to avoid them burning. Repeat this process with the garlic, but keep an even keener eye as it’ll burn much more quickly (you’ll likely only need to fry it for somewhere up to a minute). Again, remove with a slotted spoon and place on paper towels.
  3. Spread the cornflour (corn starch) on a plate and coat each side of each piece of tofu thoroughly. The cornflour will blend in with the bean curd so it’ll look at if there’s nothing on there, so don’t panic about the magical disappearing foodstuffs. It’s there, I promise. Place the coated tofu in the oil and fry for a minute or two, or until the tofu is crispy and starting to brown lightly.
  4. While the tofu is cooking, pour the sauce onto a serving plate. As soon as the tofu is finished frying, remove with your slotted spoon and allow to drain before placing it immediately in the sauce. Top with the fried shallots and garlic and serve!

Vegan “Cheese” and Onion Okara Omelette

• Ingredients
  • 60g (1/4 packed cup) pressed okara
  • 3 tbsp non dairy milk
  • 1/2 tbsp oil
  • 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
  • 2 tsp flour
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1/2 tbsp corn flour
  • 1/8-1/4 tsp black salt (depending on how strong you like the eggy flavour)
  • 1/8 tsp turmeric
  • More salt, to taste
  • 1/2 medium onion, thinly sliced + oil to cool
  • A handful of your favourite non dairy cheese

• Directions/Method
  1. First combine the wet ingredients, the okara, oil and milk. Also note I use fresh okara, not dried, but I do press it to remove most of the moisture.
  2. Add the dry ingredients and thoroughly mix to ensure there are no lumps of flour. It will be a pretty thick batter, so don’t expect it to pour easily if at all.
  3. Lightly oil a skillet or saucepan and heat to medium high. Pour/scrape the okara batter into the middle of the pan and spread it with an icing spatula, knife, or spoon, until it’s about 6 inches round. Cook for 3-4 minutes or until the top of the omelette begins to look dry (and looks possible to flip without complete breakdown). Carefully flip it over, cooking for a similar amount of time on the second side.
  4. While the omelette’s cooking, heat another pan to high heat, frying your onion in a bit of oil until it begins to brown (you can do this next to the omelette while it’s cooking if you have a large enough pan). This should only take a couple of minutes.
  5. Place the fried onion and a handfull of shredded “cheese” on one half of the omelette and carefully fold the other half over. Cook for a minute or two longer and serve.

Broccoli Mac and “Cheese”

• Ingredients
  • 250g (2 cups) macaroni pasta
  • 200g broccoli, chopped
  • 40g (1/4 cup) cashews
  • 60ml (1/4 cup) non-dairy milk
  • 1 clove garlic, smashed
  • 3 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 tsp tahini
  • 120ml measure (1/2 cup) nutritional yeast
  • 1 tsp arrowroot powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1/2 tsp prepared mustard or dijon mustard
  • 1/4 tsp turmeric
  • 1 tsp salt
  • Grated vegan cheese, for topping (optional)

• Directions/Method
  1. Preheat the oven to 200 C (400 F). Boil some water and pour over the cashews. Leave to sit for about twenty minutes to soften the nuts so they blend more easily to a smooth consistency. Omit this step if you are cool enough to own a super blender like a Vitamix.
  2. Cook the macaroni until al dente based on the packet’s instructions. Rinse with cold water and drain.
  3. Liquidise the cashews (drain them first) and garlic with the non-dairy milk. Add the shallots and continue to blend until mostly mixed (a few chunks are okay). Add the rest of the ingredients (except optional extra cheese for sprinkling) and pulse until fully blended together.
  4. In a large oven proof dish, mix the sauce with the macaroni and broccoli pieces. Cook covered with foil for about 20 minutes and uncovered for a further ten minutes. If you’re planning on adding extra cheese on top, add after you remove the foil.
  5. Serve hot with salad on on its own for a delicious and healthy alternative to mac and cheese.

Thai Coconut Salad Dressing

• Ingredients
  • 1/4 cup (60ml) full fat coconut milk
  • 1 tbsp rapeseed oil
  • 1 tsp white wine vinegar
  • 1/2 tsp dijon mustard
  • 1/8 tsp ground coriander
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/8 tsp tamarind paste
  • 1 small clove garlic

• Directions/Method
  1. Add the oil and garlic to a pestle and mortar and pound until it’s a paste. Add the vinegar and some coconut milk if you need more liquid to crush the garlic.
  2. Mix in all other ingredients and serve on your favourite salad. If you have time, leave the dressing for a few hours for flavours to better infuse.

Vegan Blue Cheese and Walnut Dip

• Ingredients
  • 50g (approx 1 cup) blue Sheese
  • 80g (approx 1/3 cup) vegan cream cheese
  • 1 tsp vegan worcestershire
  • 1/8 tsp salt
  • 1/4 cup chopped walnuts

• Directions/Method
  1. If using whole walnuts, chop them using a large chefs knife or crush lightly in a pestle and mortar.
  2. Mix all ingredients but the walnuts in a bowl until smooth and creamy. Once this consistency is achieved simply fold in the walnuts and serve with your favourite crackers!

Winter Warmer Beans ‘n Pasta

• Ingredients
  • Approx 180g (2 cups) pasta
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tbsp fresh finely chopped sage
  • 1 tbsp red wine
  • 1/4 tsp sugar
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 400g tinned tomatoes (a small can)
  • 400g tin of butter beans

• Directions/Method
  1. Parboil the pasta until it’s around 5 minutes from being cooked to your liking.
  2. While the pasta is boiling, heat olive oil over medium heat in a pan and fry the garlic for 30 seconds. Add the sage and cook a further 30 seconds. Throw (okay, not literally) in the red wine, tomatoes, salt, and sugar and mix until incorporated before adding the drained butter beans.
  3. When the pasta is par-cooked, drain it and add it to the sauce to cook for a further 5 minutes (keep the lid on if possible). It’s always a good idea to finish cooking any pasta in its sauce!

Roasted Crown Prince Squash Soup

• Ingredients
  • Olive oil
  • Approx 1175g (2.9 ounces) crown prince squash
  • 2 medium onions, quartered
  • 2-3 heads (not cloves) garlic
  • 2-3 cups water or stock
  • Juice of one lemon
  • 20-30 sage leaves
  • 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 1.5 tsp salt (give or take)
  • 1/2 tsp ground coriander
  • 1/4 cup soy yoghurt

• Directions/Method
  1. Preheat the oven to 200 C (400 F). Quarter the squash and brush the flesh with olive oil. Place on a roasting tray.
  2. Peel as much of the dried skin away from the garlic heads as possible and mix, with a tablespoon or two of olive oil, in a bowl with the quartered onion. Hint: cut half a centimentre or so off the top of each head of garlic so they’re easy to squeeze out once cooked. If there’s room, place on the tray with the squash (if not, find another tray).
  3. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until squash is soft when pierced with a knife. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 20 minutes.
  4. One cool enough to handle, peel the squash away from the skin and chuck the flesh into a blender along with the onion. To extract the garlic, squeeze each clove and the softened garlic should pop out. Throw this in the blender too, along with all the rest of the ingredients.
  5. Pour blender contents into a saucepan and heat for ten minutes. Serve with an added swirl of soya yoghurt and/or vegan parmesan and pepper if desired. Eat with bread for a full meal.

Deviled Tofu

• Ingredients
  • About 300g tofu
  • 1.5 tbsp vegan mayonnaise
  • 1/4 tsp dijon mustard
  • 1/4 tsp vegan worcestershire
  • 1/8 tsp black salt
  • 1/8 tsp turmeric
  • paprika

• Directions/Method
  1. Cut the tofu into six 40-ish gram squares and spoon a hunk of tofu out of the middle of each, ensuring there’s enough space between the hole and the edge of the tofu to avoid the whole thing collapsing.
  2. Add all of the ingredients but the paprika, along with the bean curd you’ve removed from the squares, to a bowl. Chuck in the remaining 60 grams of tofu and mix well. You can do this either by hand or with a beater (the latter being better if you make larger quantities of course).
  3. Pipe filling into the tofu squares or place inside with a small teaspoon. Sprinkle each “egg” with a small pinch of paprika to garnish.

Classic Cut Vegan Anise Cookies

• Ingredients
  • 1 2/3 C all purpose flour (260g)
  • 2/3 C sugar
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp corn flour (corn starch)
  • 2 tsp ground anise
  • 3/4 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 C vegan margarine (105g)
  • 1/4 c soy milk

• Directions/Method
  1. Preheat the oven to 190 C (375 F).
  2. Pulse all dry ingredients in a food processor until mixed well (especially if you’re using larger grain sugar).
  3. Slowly add the margarine, in approximate tablespoon batches, until mixed into the flour. It’ll resemble tiny crumbs by this point and the dough will not come together.
  4. While the food processor is running, slowly pour soy milk in until the dough clumps well. Remove from food processor and divide into two pieces. Wrap in cling film (seran wrap) and refrigerate for a few hours or overnight before use.
  5. When it’s time to make the cookies, only remove one lump of dough from the fridge at a time. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to about 1/8 inch thickness (or even a little thinner for a nice crispy cookie). Using your favourite cookie cutters, cut shapes and place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Decorate with coloured sugar or sprinkles, if desired. Continue rolling and cutting leftover dough until most is used.
  6. Bake for 6-8 minutes (but if your cookies are very small and/or thin keep an eye on them; you may wish to reduce cooking time slightly).

Mini Plum Pie Recipe

• Ingredients
  • 1 recipe vegan shortcrust pastry
  • 225g (1 C) plum purée
  • 2 tbsp sugar
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp ground ginger
  • 4 tbsp cornflour (corn starch) plus 3 tbsp cold water
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