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.

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?)

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.

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.

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).

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.

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.

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

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!

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…).

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).

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.

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).

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.

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.

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.

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).

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.

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.

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.

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!

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)!

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 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.

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.

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.

Miso Rosy Cannellini Beans

• Ingredients
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 medium onion, diced
  • 2 cloves minced garlic
  • 1-2 sprigs worth of fresh rosemary, chopped
  • 2.5 tbsp white miso paste
  • 2 cups (350g or 12oz) cannellini beans
  • 1/4 cup (60ml) vegan white wine

• Directions/Method
  1. Fry the onion lightly in the olive oil for 3-4 minutes over medium heat, or until the onions are soft and translucent. Add the garlic and rosemary and cook one minute more.
  2. Add the beans, miso, and rosemary and stir to mix well. The miso may clump at first but will quickly mix in.
  3. Finally pour in the white wine and simme until the liquid has cooked down , about 5-10 minutes.
  4. Serve warm or cold.

Vegan Pumpkin and Okara Ravioli

• Ingredients
  • 3 cups (375g) pasta flour
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • Up to 1 cup (240ml) of water
  • 350g (approx 1.5 cups) pumpkin puree (steamed or roasted)
  • 100g (1 cup) okara
  • 10g (1/4 cup) nutritional yeast
  • 35-40g (1/4 cup) vegan mozzarella
  • 2-3 tbsp freshly chopped sage
  • 2-3 cloves minced garlic
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice (approx half of a lemon)
  • 1 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1/2 tsp tahini
  • 1/2 tsp salt

• Directions/Method
  1. To make your pumpkin puree, get the oven going at 200 C (400 F). Slice a small to medium sized pumpkin in half and remove the seeds. Cut each half in half again. Halve the halfs again if your pumpkin is, like, 8 feet wide. Stick on a tray and roast for half an hour or so, or until the flesh is soft. Remove and allow to cool before peeling the skin away from the flesh with a spoon (it will come away very easily).
  2. To prepare your pasta dough mix the flour and salt in a large bowl. Add the olive oil and mix in the flour until there are no large chunks of flour-oil mass left. Add the water slowly, mixing with the flour until you achieve a smooth dough. You’re better off with a drier dough than a floppy lump of of moisture, so take it easy with the water flow. You can use either a dough mixer or your hands, whichever you prefer. Ensure the ingredients are evenly mixed and set the dough aside in a covered bowl for at least 15 minutes, or while you prepare the ravioli stuffing.
  3. Throw all the other ingredients in a bowl with the pumpkin and mash it up. Tricky, I know.
  4. If you’re using a pasta maker, follow the instructions as per its instruction manual (yes, I sometimes read them). If you haven’t yet invested in a pasta maker, what’s wrong with you? Sike. Get out the rolling pin and get busy. Break the dough into 4 or 5 chunks and roll each out to approx 1-2mm in thickness. To do this, you’ll have to keep a bowl of flour on hand to continually dust both your surface and the sheet of pasta with which you’re currently working.
  5. To make the actual ravioli, place a line of about 1/2 tbsp filling about an inch from the edge along one rectangular sheet of dough, leaving 1.5-2 inches between each. Brush around the edges with water and fold the other half over the top. Press and seal around the edges. Using a pastry cutter, cut around the edges to make individual raviolis.
  6. Collect any remaining dough, roll out and follow the steps again. Repeat until no dough is left.
  7. Cook the pasta for just a few minutes in boiling water. Don’t overcook!
  8. If this is a pain in your arse, stuff some shells instead. Or go buy a pasta maker, or one of those clever ravioli gadgets or something.

I’m an autumn moper. There, I said it. This is the time of year where I have to face the fact that it’s getting too dark too quickly. It’s the time of year where I have to come to terms with the fact that my feet will be frozen for the next six or seven months. But then I suddenly look up and face a mindboggling array of various squash and pumpkin -esque shapes, and remind myself that there are some positives about this time of year, too.

Pumpkin, or “punkin” as my mother so adorably calls it, is a delicious vegetable which is overshadowed by pre-processing and all too often goes to waste. As an American I only ever knew pumpkin to be one of two things: something edible out of a can or something carved for Halloween. How tragic is that? My recollection of pumpkin was either from a factory or a vision of perfectly good food gone to waste (!!!), so I’ve been making an effort over the past couple of years to, you know, actually cook with the real live vegetable. Since it’s food and all.
<h2>Recipe Notes</h2>
If you’ve never cooked with pumpkin before, this is it. Seriously, <em>this is it</em>. It’s one of the most delicious things I’ve had in a long while, and I’m so happy there were enough left to freeze for one or two more meals.

Don’t listen to anyone who tried to tell you that making your own pumpkin purée is difficult or “not worth it.” Dude, really, all you do is cut the thing into a few wedges and stick it in the oven. You don’t even need to purée it properly for this recipe (a light mashing will do). Anyone who tells you this process is hard is either a canned pumpkin lobbyist or a terrorist, clearly.

I suspect not many people make their own soymilk and tofu, and I’ve never really seen it marketed widely in food retail, so I know okara seems an inconvenient ingredient. If you can’t get ahold of it, don’t worry. I use okara because it’s coming out my ears and because I like the slightly grainy texture (reminiscent of store-bought ricotta), but you should be able to use an extra firm tofu with no problem.

I used a small amount of vegan mozzarella cheese in this recipe, but if you don’t have that on hand then feel free to use a basic cheddar substitute or simply omit the ingredient altogether. The ravioli will survive and you’ll still enjoy your dinner.

The sauce, if you could call it that, I used was a simple hazelnut and garlic mix in vegan butter and extra virgin olive oil. You could also try lightly frying some whole sage leaves in garlic and oil/butter also. I would advise against a sauce which is too heavy with flavour because the flavour of the ravioli is so good on its own. Try not to top it with anything too overpowering.

<div id=”recipe-container”>
<h2 class=”recipe-title”>Vegan Pumpkin and Okara Ravioli</h2>
<div id=”servings”>Makes 50-55 Raviolis</div>

<ul id=”navlist”>
<li><span id=”ingredients”>Ingredients</span>
<ul id=”subnavlist”>
<li>3 cups (375g) pasta flour</li>
<li>1 tsp salt</li>
<li>3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil</li>
<li>Up to 1 cup (240ml) of water</li>
<li>350g (approx 1.5 cups) pumpkin puree (steamed or roasted)</li>
<li>100g (1 cup) okara</li>
<li>10g (1/4 cup) nutritional yeast</li>
<li>35-40g (1/4 cup) vegan mozzarella</li>
<li>2-3 tbsp freshly chopped sage</li>
<li>2-3 cloves minced garlic</li>
<li>2 tbsp lemon juice (approx half of a lemon)</li>
<li>1 tbsp tomato paste</li>
<li>1/2 tsp tahini</li>
<li>1/2 tsp salt</li>

</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<ul id=”instructions”>
<li><span id=”method”>Directions/Method</span>
<ol>
<li>To make your pumpkin puree, get the oven going at 200 C (400 F). Slice a small to medium sized pumpkin in half and remove the seeds. Cut each half in half again. Halve the halfs again if your pumpkin is, like, 8 feet wide. Stick on a tray and roast for half an hour or so, or until the flesh is soft. Remove and allow to cool before peeling the skin away from the flesh with a spoon (it will come away very easily).</li>
<li>To prepare your pasta dough mix the flour and salt in a large bowl. Add the olive oil and mix in the flour until there are no large chunks of flour-oil mass left. Add the water slowly, mixing with the flour until you achieve a smooth dough. You’re better off with a drier dough than a floppy lump of of moisture, so take it easy with the water flow. You can use either a dough mixer or your hands, whichever you prefer. Ensure the ingredients are evenly mixed and set the dough aside in a covered bowl for at least 15 minutes, or while you prepare the ravioli stuffing.</li>
<li>Throw all the other ingredients in a bowl with the pumpkin and mash it up. Tricky, I know.</li>
<li>If you’re using a pasta maker, follow the instructions as per its instruction manual (yes, I sometimes read them). If you haven’t yet invested in a pasta maker, what’s wrong with you? Sike. Get out the rolling pin and get busy. Break the dough into 4 or 5 chunks and roll each out to approx 1-2mm in thickness. To do this, you’ll have to keep a bowl of flour on hand to continually dust both your surface and the sheet of pasta with which you’re currently working.</li>
<li>To make the actual ravioli, place a line of about 1/2 tbsp filling about an inch from the edge along one rectangular sheet of dough, leaving 1.5-2 inches between each. Brush around the edges with water and fold the other half over the top. Press and seal around the edges. Using a pastry cutter, cut around the edges to make individual raviolis.</li>
<li>Collect any remaining dough, roll out and follow the steps again. Repeat until no dough is left.</li>
<li>Cook the pasta for just a few minutes in boiling water. Don’t overcook!</li>
<li>If this is a pain in your arse, stuff some shells instead. Or go buy a pasta maker, or one of those clever ravioli gadgets or something.</li>

</ol>
</li>
</ul>
</div>

Kippy’s Not-So-Secret Vegan Chili

• Ingredients
  • 1 tbsp oil
  • 1/2 cup dried butter beans
  • 1/2 cup dried kidney beans
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 2 bell peppers, cut into 1 inch pieces
  • 4 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 1/2 tbsp ground espresso
  • 1/2 tbsp cocoa powder
  • 2 tbsp chili powder
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1/2 tsp cumin
  • 1/2 tsp ground coriander
  • 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 400g tinned tomato
  • 1 cup veggie stock
  • 1 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1/2 cup vegan mince
  • 1-2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • Salt, to taste
  • Pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)

• Directions/Method
  1. First cook your beans, which you’ll have soaked overnight. My preference is a pressure cooker because it’s quick and easy, so I combine both varieties of bean and cook under pressure for 25 minutes. You will need a lot longer if boiling.
  2. In a small bowl make the spice mix by combining the espresso, cocoa, chili powder, oregano, cumin, and coriander.
  3. Heat the oil to a medium heat in a heavy bottom saucepan or skillet with high sides. Add both the onion and the diced peppers to the oil and fry for around 10 minutes (until soft and slightly browned) before adding the garlic and spice mix.
  4. Cook for one or two minutes minutes and then add the red wine vinegar. Scrape the bottom and around the edges of the pan to get any bits which have stuck or burnt on (the bits which add flavour) and then throw in the tinned tomato, stock, and tomato paste. Stir to incorporate all ingredients.
  5. Turn the heat down to low and toss in the vegan mince, beans, sugar, and salt (the amount will depend on the salt content of your stock and also personal preference). Cover and leave to simmer for at least an hour.
  6. About 15 minutes before serving, remove the lid and stir in a tablespoon or two of balsamic vinegar.
  7. Serve either on its own, with rice, and/or with a dollop of vegan yoghurt or sour cream on top.

Vegan White Pizza with a Beer Crust

• Beer Dough Ingredients
  • 225g strong white bread flour
  • 10g fresh yeast or 1 tsp easy-blend yeast
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 125ml veg-friendly beer (room temperature, not cold)

• Olive Oil and Herb Base Ingredients
  • 3-4 cloves crushed and diced garlic
  • 1/4 cup lightly packed basil leaves, finely chopped
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

• Creamy Pizza Topping Ingredients
  • 1/4 cup ground cashew and almond
  • 1/4 cup soya milk
  • 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1 tbsp light miso
  • 1 tsp tahini
  • 1 tsp umeboshi vinegar
  • 1/4 tsp hot mustard powder
  • 3/4 tsp corn flour
  • More vegan cheese to top (optional)

• Directions/Method
  1. For the dough, mix all of the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add the olive oil and gradually add the beer until you have a soft dough. Turn out onto a solid surface and knead for 5-10 minutes. Ensure the bowl is scraped clean before coating with a bit of olive oil and returning the dough to rest inside. Cover with oiled cling film and leave to rise for about 1 hour.
  2. Preheat the oven to hot. Really hot. I turn mine all the way up to 250 C. If using a stone, place in the oven to heat (same applies for cast iron). I always put pizza trays in to preheat also.
  3. In a small bowl, mix the ingredients for the olive oil and herb base and set aside.
  4. For the creamy cheese topping, simply mix all of the topping ingredients together. Use a blender, a pestle and mortar, or a good old fashioned spoon and bowl if you’d like. Your method of mixture will determine the texture of the sauce (so if you want a really smooth texture, blend it).
  5. Once the dough has risen to a point just below doubled, knead it once more and roll out on a lightly floured surface to approx 12-14 inches (depending on whether you want a crust). Transfer to your pre-heated pizza baking implement and form crusts by rolling edges inward.
  6. If using a cheap pizza tray, I suggest baking the crust for 1-2 minutes first in order to avoid a soggy bottom.
  7. Spread the oil and herb base over the entire pizza before pouring the creamy sauce on top. If desired, top the pizza with some additional vegan cheese.
  8. Bake for 5-7 minutes, or until crusts start to brown.

Chana Dal Cutlets

• Ingredients
  • 1/2 cups chana dal, soaked overnight in water (about 1.5 C or 120g cooked)
  • 2 cups (475 ml) vegetable broth (luke warm)
  • 2/3 cup (60g) dried okara
  • 1 cup vital wheat gluten
  • 1/4 cup chickpea (gram) flour
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 1/4 tsp turmeric
  • 1/8 tsp asafoetida
  • salt, to taste
  • Plenty of oil to fry

• Directions/Method
  1. Mix all ingredients together but the oil, which serves only the purpose of frying these suckers up. Don’t over knead the dough, aiming to mix and knead only to incorporate ingredients evenly.
  2. Depending on whether you want to make burgers or cutlets (my preference), divide the dough accordingly. You’ll want to make about 6 balls of dough for burgers and 10-12 for cutlets. Some bits of the dough may fall apart, but don’t worry too much about losing the odd dal.
  3. For burgers, roll the mixture into a ball and flatten slightly into a burgery shape. For cutlets, flatten to about 1/4-1/3 inch in thickness.
  4. Heat a skillet to a medium-high heat and add plenty of oil. Cook each cutlet for about 2-3 minutes on each side, or until slightly browned. Burgers may take a few minutes longer, so use common sense.
  5. Serve hot or cold with your favourite basmati rice dish or, if made into burgers, on a bun with mango chutney.

Aubergine and Hot Hummus Pastry Rolls (Vegan)

• Ingredients
  • 1 medium or large aubergine (eggplant)
  • Olive oil
  • 3 sheets of 500mm x 240mm filo pastry
  • 1 tbsp olive oil + 1 tbsp margarine
  • Hummus
  • A few pinches of advieh (optional)
  • Salt, to taste

• Directions/Method
  1. Pre-heat the oven to 225 degrees celcius.
  2. Cut the aubergine lengthways into thin 1/4 inch to 1/3 inch slices before brushing with a little olive oil on both sides. Place on a tray in the oven for ten minutes before flipping and cooking a further 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and turn the heat down to 175 degrees C.
  3. Melt the 1 tablespoon of oil and the margarine together.
  4. Cut the pastry sheets vertically into 250mm x 240mm pieces, keeping unused sheets covered while you work (to prevent drying out).
  5. To make rolls, brush a sheet of filo with the oil mixture and place one or two slices of aubergine in the centre as shown below. Add a tablespoon or so of hummus per piece of aubergine, plus salt and advieh (if using). Fold the sides of the pastry over and brush again. Starting at the end with the most filling, roll the concoction up, continuing to ensure it’s brushed with oil (especially at the end, so it will stick).
  6. Lightly brush the rolls with more oil and bake for about 35 minutes or until golden and crispy. Serve warm or cold with a tahini or vegan yoghurt sauce over couscous.

Arabic Inspired Quinoa (Vegan)

• Ingredients
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped
  • 75g quinoa + 200 ml water or vegetable stock
  • 2 plum tomatoes, diced
  • 1 tbsp pine nuts
  • 1/4 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/8-1/4 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp dried dill
  • 2 tsp lemon juice
  • fresh parsely to serve (optional)

• Directions/Method
  1. Rinse your quinoa and place in a saucepan along with 200ml of water of stock (as a general rule, you want about 2 parts water to one part quinoa). Cook for about 15 minutes, or until the liquid is absorbed and the grains are soft.
  2. Meanwhile fry the onion in the olive oil on a medium-high heat until just transparent before adding the pine nuts. Continue to fry for about one minute more and add the diced tomato, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cumin to the pan, plus salt to taste.
  3. Remove both the quinoa (drain any excess water away) and the onion mixture from the heat and combine along with the lemon juice and dill.
  4. Serve immediately, garnished with some chopped flat leaf parsley if desired. Alternatively refrigerate and serve cold as a salad or the perfect picnic food.

Creamy Tomato and Dill Soup (Vegan)

• Ingredients
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 50g diced carrot
  • 50g diced celery
  • 1 small onion, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/4 cup beer
  • 1 tsp tomato paste
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 400g tinned tomato
  • 1 tsp dried basil
  • 1/2 tsp oregano
  • 1/2 tsp marjoram
  • Salt, to taste
  • 1/2 tsp agave nectar (optional)
  • 1-2 tbsp dried dill
  • 1-3 tbsp soy cream (optional)

• Directions/Method
  1. Sweat the celery, onion, and carrot in the olive oil for about 10 minutes or until soft. Add the garlic at this point and cook a further minute or so until fragrant before. Pour the beer in and continue to stir until most of it has cooked in and evaporated (a couple of minutes) before adding the tomato paste, tinned tomato, and water.
  2. Stir in the herbs and salt to taste, along with the agave nectar, and leave covered to simmer over a low heat for 20-30 minutes.
  3. Remove from the hob/stovetop and allow to cool for a little while before blending to a smooth soup. During the blending process add half of the dill.
  4. Return the soup to the burner and heat over a low heat until ready to serve. About 5 minutes before serving, add the remainder of the dill and also the cream, if using.

Roasted Aubergine and Tomato Soup

• Ingredients
  • Approx 800g (2-3) aubergine (eggplant)
  • Olive oil
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 2-3 cloves garlic (minimum)
  • 400g tin of tomato
  • 1/4 tsp cinnamon
  • Salt, to taste
  • 1/4-1/2 tsp cumin
  • 1 tbsp pomegranate molasses
  • Extra water
  • 1/2 tsp lemon juice
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1/4 tsp tahini
  • 4 tbsp vegan yoghurt

• Directions/Method
  1. Preheat your oven to 240-250 C (or 475 F).
  2. Prick the aubergines in a few different spots and roast for around 45 minutes to an hour until the vegetables are very soft and the skins are wrinkled. When finished remove from the oven and leave to cool.
  3. While your aubergines are in the oven, you can make a quick and tasty yoghurt sauce with which to add an extra tang and a garnish to your final product. To do this I use my trusty pestle and mortar to pound the lemon juice, garlic, tahini, yoghurt, and some salt together.
  4. In a large saucepan add some olive oil and fry the onion for 5-10 minutes on medium heat or until just browing. Add the garlic and fry a further minute before tossing in the salt and spices.
  5. After 30 seconds or so (just enough time for your kitchen to smell truly awesome), add the tomato and turn the heat down a few notches. Cover and leave to simmer while you get down with the aubergine
  6. When the roasted aubergines are cool enough to handle you can simply peel away the skins. Do this and chop the flesh into small pieces before stirring into the simmering tomato. Add the pomegranate molasses and some extra water (at least a cup if you want a fairly runny soup, but I like mine thick so I added a bit less) and salt to taste.
  7. Purée your soup in a blender until very smooth and creamy looking and serve with a swirl of the yoghurt sauce. Garnish with parsley for an extra pretty touch!

Baked / Roasted Ratatouille

• Ingredients
  • 2 Courgettes (zuchinni), cut into chunks (that’s approx 285g)
  • 1 Red Pepper, cut into 1 inch squares
  • 1 Aubergine (eggplant, diced into 1 inch pieces)
  • 400g Cherry Tomatoes, halved
  • 1 Onion, cut into sixths
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tsp herbs (basil, thyme, marjoram, oregano- your choice)
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 1-2 heads garlic

• Directions/Method
  1. Preheat the oven to 175 degrees celcius (350 F).
  2. In a roasting tin combine all of the ingredients except the garlic, if using. Make sure the oil is coating all of the vegetables well.
  3. Place in the oven and cook for about 1 hour and 15 minutes before removing.
  4. If including garlic, peel as much paper from the head(s) as possible and coat with some more olive oil. Put on a tray in the oven for the final 30 minutes of the ratatouille’s cooking time. To make life more simple, clip/cut the top of the garlic bulb to allow the cloves to be easily squeezed out when done.
  5. Add garlic to vegetables and toss together. Server either on its own or with a rice or grain. Top with chopped basil or other herbs if you’d like.

Celeriac, Fennel, and Roasted Garlic Soup

• Ingredients
  • 1-2 Heads Roasted Garlic
  • 160g Fennel
  • 150g Celeriac
  • 1 Apple (Granny Smith or similar)
  • 35g Cashews (approx 1/4 cup)
  • 160g (about 3) Shallots
  • 150ml White Wine
  • 500 ml Water (approx 2 1/4 cups)
  • 2 tsp Turmeric
  • Salt and Pepper (preferably white) to taste
  • 60ml (approx 1/4 cup) soy milk
  • Handful of Fresh Coriander
  • Cream or Soy Cream (optional)

• Directions/Method
  1. Heat the oven to 200 C (400 F) and roast the garlic for around 20 minutes. To do this simply peel as much paper away from the bulb as possible. Cut a tiny portion of the top of the bulb away if desired (makes it easier to squeeze garlic out when done) and drizzle with some olive oil before popping on a tray in the oven.
  2. Meanwhile peel and quarter the apple and halve the shallots. Chop the other vegetables into chunks and add along with all other ingredients (except the coriander and soy milk) to your pressure cooker. Cook as per your pressure cooker’s instructions for 15 minutes.
  3. Set aside and allow to cool a little before blending (this is just a precaution, but one I rarely follow despite the huge crack now ascending the walls of my lovely glass blender). Blend until very smooth, adding the soy milk as you do so. Throw in the fresh coriander last, giving it one or two last whizzes ’round to chop it finely. Return and keep heated on the hob/stove until ready to serve.
  4. If using, stir in a dollop of cream or soy cream, along with some spare coriander or fresh parsley to garnish.

Coconut Rice with Lemon-Agave Stir-Fry

• Ingredients
  • 150g brown rice
  • 3/4 C vegetable stock
  • 1/2 C coconut milk
  • 250g sweet potato, cut into chips + 1 tbsp oil
  • 125g broccoli heads
  • 100g courgette, cut into batons
  • 1/2 medium sized red onion, sliced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 inch ginger, grated
  • oil for wok
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 1 tsp agave nectar
  • Pinch of chili flakes (optional)
  • 1-2 tbsp quality soy sauce

• Directions/Method
  1. First preheat the oven to 200C (400F) and then start the rice. Be sure to follow the instructions given for the rice you’re using. For a basic brown rice, the cooking time should be about 30 minutes and the quantities provided above will be accurate. Adjust liquid content as needed, using a similar ratio of stock to coconut milk. To cook add to saucepan and simmer, covered, on low.
  2. Cut the sweet potato into thick chips and toss in the tablespoon of oil. Once the oven is pre-heated, bake for 20-30 minutes, or until the sweet potato is just browning around the edges.
  3. While the sweet potato is cooking, prepare the vegetables for the stir fry. Cut the broccoli heads into small-ish pieces, the courgette into 2-3 inch batons, and the onion into 1/4 inch slices.
  4. In a small bowl mix the lemon juice, agave, soy sauce, and chili (if using). If you don’t have agave you can also use regular sugar, but be sure it dissolves evenly in the lemon juice.
  5. Heat your wok until near smoking and add a couple tablespoons of oil. Add the broccoli and stir-fry about one minute before adding the courgette and onion. Fry for another 3-4 minutes before turning the heat down a little and adding the garlic and ginger. Stir fry a further 20-30 seconds and finally add the lemon-agave sauce.
  6. Serve the stir-fry on a bed of the coconut rice, arranged with the roasted sweet potato chips, and enjoy while steaming hot!

Vegan Tempeh Kibbeh

• Ingredients
  • 100g bulghur wheat
  • 200g tempeh
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped (about 65g)
  • 1 tbsp tomato paste
  • 2 tbsp (ish) water (may not need)
  • 1/2 tsp sumac
  • 1/2 tsp cumin
  • 1/4 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/8 tsp nutmeg
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • approx 2 tbsp olive oil to coat
  • Fresh lemon wedges to serve

• Directions/Method
  1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celcius (that’s about 350 F).
  2. First rinse the bulgur wheat and drain. In a food processor, blend the tempeh, bulgur wheat, diced onion, and tomato paste. Add water as necessary. Some brands of tempeh are dry while others are fairly gooey. You are looking for a paste that sticks together and can be kneaded.
  3. Add all of the spices to the mix and blend again.
  4. To make the kibbeh torpedo shape form a few tablespoons into an approximate golf ball shape (a tip to keep the mix from sticking is to keep a small bowl of cold water at hand and keep your palms damp). Roll into an oval shape. Don’t worry if you aren’t able to perfect the torpedo shape (they’ll still taste good).
  5. Oil a baking sheet and likewise coat each kibbeh with a healthy sheen of olive oil. Bake for about 30-35 minute or until the shell is crisp. It’s advisable to turn the kibbeh during cooking, but be careful when doing so (use a spatula to avoid bits sticking to the sheet).
  6. Remove from oven and serve either immediately or cold, with salads, or with any number of mezze dishes. Be sure to include a few wedges of freshly sliced lemon to squeeze onto each bite (really, it’s not the same without)!

Smoky Vegan Spinach Lasagna

• Cashew Cream Ingredients
  • 1 cup cashews + 1 cup boiling water
  • Handful of basil leaves
  • 1/4 tsp salt

• Tomato Sauce Ingredients
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 clove garlic, crushed
  • About 550-600g tomatoes, diced
  • Pinch of sugar
  • Pinch of salt

• Filling Ingredients
  • 1 large onion (or two small), diced
  • 1 cup (about 100g) vegan mince (“ground beef”)
  • 1-2 tbsp vegan margarine
  • 4 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 450g fresh spinach
  • 1 small block extra firm smoked tofu, crumbled
  • Vegan lasagne noodles for 3 layers

• Directions/Method
  1. First preheat the oven to 200 celcius before moving on to the cashew cream. In a medium bowl, combine the boiling water with the cashews and set aside for at least 20 minutes while you prepare the lasagne filling and red sauce.
  2. Add the margarine to a frying pan until melted. Add the onion and fake minced beef until just browned. Stir in the garlic and cook another minute until fragrant. This doesn’t have to be completely cooked as it will cook further in the oven.
  3. In a large saucepan add 1 tablespoon of water along with the spinach (no, you don’t need more water than this) and cook over a meium-high heat until the spinach begins to wilt. Add the spinach in handfuls as it cooks down until it’s all cooked. Drain and toss in with the mince mix above.
  4. For the red sauce simply fry, on medium heat, the garlic in a tablespoon of olive oil for about 30-60 seconds. Don’t let the garlic brown because it will ruin the flavour of the sauce. Stir in the tomatoes (I prefer them to be skinned, but this isn’t mandatory) along with a pinch of salt and sugar and allow to cook a further 5-10 minutes.
  5. Finish the cashew cream by putting the cashews and their soaking water into a high-powered blender or small food processor. Add the basil leaves and 1/4 teaspoon of salt before blending to a smooth and creamy sauce.
  6. Don’t forget the pre-cook the lasagne noodles if needed. Follow the directions on the packet (if it’s homemade pasta my personal preference is to dunk in boiling water for 30 seconds first).
  7. To put the dish together put a few tablespoons of the red sauce on the bottom of a 10″ x 7″ (-ish) rectangular baking dish. Place one layer of noodles on the sauce and top with half of the spinach and mince mixture, along with a handful of crumbled tofu. Pour 1/2 of the cashew cream over this as well as several tablespoons of red sauce before adding a second layer of noodles. Add the other half of the mince and the rest of the tofu crumbles. Pour another 1/2 of the cashew cream and a few tablespoons of red sauce on top before adding your third layer of noodles. Top the third layer of noodles with the rest of the tomato-based sauce.
  8. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until browned lightly around the edges. You may need to reduce times for fan/convection ovens.

Vegetarian Okara “Chicken” Balls

• Ingredients
  • 65g chicken substitute
  • 65g fresh okara
  • 1 tsp miso
  • 1/4 tsp white pepper
  • 20g onion (pureed or grated)
  • 1 tbsp nutritional yeast flakes
  • 1/4 tsp dried rosemary
  • 1 tbsp Olive oil
  • 1 tbsp water (give or take)
  • 30g vital wheat gluten (give or take)
  • About 1 cup breadcrumbs

• Directions/Method
  1. Pre-heat the oven to 175 celcius (350 F) and lightly grease a baking sheet.
  2. Preferably use a food processor to blend all of the ingredients except for the gluten flour into an even paste, but you can do this by hand if there are no other options. Grate the onion and mash the chicken substitute as much as possible and then add the other ingredients. The mix will be fairly wet depending on how much moisture is in the okara. I use fresh okara, not dried, so if you use dried then you will likely need to add more liquid.
  3. Add the wheat gluten flour to the wet mix, mixing evenly and thoroughly, but no need to over-mix. You may need to play around a little bit here. The result you’re after should be a wet dough just hard enough to roll into balls. Add more liquid and/or gluten flour in small quantities in order to find this balance.
  4. Roll the dough into approximately 1-inch balls (I have done larger, so I know it works too). Roll each ball in the breadcrumbs and place on the baking tray. Once all are coated, pop in the oven for about 30 minutes. Turn over halfway through baking.
  5. The final product should be browned and crispy on the outside, but not burnt (I feel I have to clarify this because I often burn some foods on purpose)!

Pomegranate Roasted Tempeh

• Ingredients
  • 1.5 tbsp pomegranate molasses
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
  • 1/2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 2 tbsp hot water
  • 1/4 tbsp sugar
  • 1 tbsp Olive oil
  • 225g (8 ounces) tempeh

• Directions/Method
  1. Pre-heat the oven to 200 celcius (400 F) and lightly grease a roasting sheet.
  2. Mix all of the ingredients together, save the tempeh. Cut the tempeh into thin 1/3 inch slices and place in the marinade until most of the liquid is soaked up. This won’t take long (tempeh doesn’t need to soak for a billion years like tofu- it takes in liquid flavour pretty much instantly).
  3. Arrange the tempeh pieces on your oven tray and place in the oven for a total of around 20 minutes, turning each slice over after 10-12 minutes.
  4. Remove from oven and serve hot with salads, couscous, bulgur wheat, steamed or roasted veggies (tip: slice some butternut squash into 1/2 inch strips and roast with the tempeh), or whatever takes you fancy!)

Roasted Red Pepper and Pomegranate Salad

• Roasted Tomatoes
  • 300g cherry or plum tomatoes
  • 1.5 tbsp olive oil
  • 1.5 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • Splash of liquid smoke (optional)

• Lemon and Olive Oil Vinaigrette
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1/8 tsp mustard powder
  • 1/4 tsp agave nectar
  • 1/2 tsp fresh herbs (basil, thyme, rosemary, etc…)
  • Salt and pepper, to taste

• Roasted Vegetables
  • 200g Courgette/zucchini, cut into 1 inch chunks
  • 170g Onion, cut in large chunks
  • 1/2 tsp dried rosemary
  • 1 tbsp Olive Oil

• Tempeh
  • 150g Tempeh
  • 2 tbsp Soy Sauce
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1/2 tsp dried oregano
  • Olive oil for frying

• Salad
  • Several clumps of your favourite salad leaves. You know, enough for two people sort of thing.

• Directions/Method
  1. Heat the oven to 200 degrees celcius.
  2. Put the tomatoes in to roast first as they could take up to an hour. Simply mix the tomatoes with the oil, vinegar, and liquid smoke (if using) and pop in the oven (remember to put them in some sort of roasting container before placing them in the oven). Set your timer for about 45 minutes, but this is dependent on the size of the tomatoes and how gooey or burnt you like them. I like them to be quite well done, so keep that in mind with your own times.
  3. While the tomatoes are roasting, prepare the dressing. With a pestle and mortar, pound the garlic with the olive oil and salt until you have a smooth paste. Add the remaining ingredients, stir, and place in the fridge until ready to use. Note: you could use a blender of some form for this, but it’s a very small amount of liquid so keep that in mind.
  4. Now to prepare the other veggies for roasting. For the courgette, cut into thick 1 inch slices. If it’s a fat courgette, cut lengthways down its centre first so you have 1 inch halved slices. Make sure your chunks of onion are also relatively large (to keep them from burning to a crisp). Generally I will slice one half of an onion once or twice in line with the root, and then again across the middle if it’s a large onion.
  5. Mix the courgette and onion chunks with the rosemary and olive oil and pop in the oven for the last 25 minutes of the tomato cooking time. If these are finished before the tomatoes, however, that’s fine. They’re quite nice a little cooler as it’s a salad and all.
  6. The tempeh should begin its preparation about ten minutes before you’re ready to serve the meal. Begin by pounding the garlic so its juices are exposed, and mix with the lemon juice, soy sauce, and oregano. Heat a grill pan to a relatively hot temperature (this is always hard for me to gauge because I’m one of those unlucky folk who have to cook on electric) with plenty of olive oil for frying. Slice your tempeh into 4 triangles and dip each one into the broth to coat and then place immediately on the griddle (or, if you don’t have one, a frying pan). Fry on each side for about 3-5 minutes, or until crispy and golden grill lines are visible.

Summer Pasta with Minted Peas and Basil

• Ingredients
  • 275g pasta
  • 1 cup frozen peas (give or take)
  • 1/4 cup packed basil and mint mix (I went 50/50)
  • 1/4 cup packed rocket (arugula)
  • 1.5-2tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • salt and pepper to taste

• Directions/Method
  1. Chop all of the herbs and leaves, keeping the arugula separate from the mint and basil combination. Set aside.
  2. Cook the peas and pasta separately. The peas will finish before the pasta and when they do, drain them and cook over a low heat with 1 tbsp of the oil, along with the chopped mint and basil.
  3. When the pasta is cooked to your liking, drain and toss well with the pea mixture and the rest of the ingredients (plus salt and pepper to taste). Add the lemon juice and red wine vinegar last and serve warm or cold (this would make a lovely cold pasta salad picnic dish).

Vegan Saag Tofu

• Ingredients
  • One block of firm garam masala tofu (read above for details)
  • 300g fresh spinach, very finely chopped
  • Olive oil
  • 5 cloves minced garlic
  • 1/4 tsp diced green chili
  • 1 inch fresh ginger, chopped
  • 3 TBP vegan butter/margarine
  • 1 TSP cumin
  • salt, to taste

• Directions/Method
  1. On a medium-low heat, fry the garlic, ginger, cumin, and green chili in a couple tablespoons of “butter” for 1 minute until fragrant.
  2. Add the chopped spinach to the mix. If you’ve just rinsed the spinach there should be enough water clinging to the leaves to ensure it cooks down (if you have just washed it, though, make sure you’ve drained most of the water away). If the spinach is dry or all of the water has evaporated, just add a tablespoon of water.
  3. Cover the pan and cook on a low heat for 12-15 minutes, or until the spinach is tender.
  4. While the spinach is cooking, heat a couple of tablespoons of olive oil in another pan. Cut the tofu into half inch pieces and fry on all sides until golden, to seal flavours in.
  5. Add the tofu to the spinach, along with the final tablespoon of “butter” to add a rich extra flavour. Stir the tofu gently into the spinach and allow the mix to simmer for a final 5-10 minutes before serving.

Simple and Easy Udon Recipe

• Ingredients
  • Approx 1-1.5 cups boiling water
  • 2-3 smallish dried shiitake mushrooms
  • 1 tsp mirin
  • 1/4 tsp sugar
  • 2 tsp tamari
  • 1/2 tsp ginger
  • Tiny splash of sesame oil
  • 100g dried udon noodles
  • Chives to garnish (optional)

• Directions/Method
  1. Make the broth first. Do this by simply mixing all of the ingredients but the sesame oil, noodles, and chives together. Leave to brew on a low heat for at least 20 minutes.
  2. Remove the shiitake mushrooms, which will now be fluffy and edible. Avoid and discard the stem by chopping the sides off around it (it’s edible but very tough). Dice the mushrooms.
  3. Cook the noodles as instructed. I tend to boil for 3-4 minutes. Drain the udon noodles and split between two bowls.
  4. Pour the broth over the noodles and garnish with the diced shiitake mushrooms and chives (if desired). Drizzle a small splash of sesame oil over each dish and serve.

Vegan Okara Mini Meatloaves

• Ingredients
  • 1 cup okara (one portion left from one batch soymilk made with a Soyquick)
  • 1/4 cup oatmeal
  • 1/2 cup vegetarian mince (ground beef)
  • 3/4 cup diced onion
  • 2-3 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 tbsp vegetarian worcestershire
  • 1/4 tsp each of sage, basil, thyme, and celery salt
  • 1/4 tsp strong English mustard
  • 3 tbsp nutritional yeast flakes
  • Salt and pepper, to taste

• Directions/Method
  1. Ready, set, pre-heat! 190 C (375 F) should do the trick.
  2. Mix all of the ingredients together in any order you see fit. Yes, I know, my recipes are tricky.
  3. Grease two 9.5cm x 6.5cm mini loaf tins and pack ‘em full of the mix. Bake for about 20-30 minutes, or until nicely browned on top.
  4. Serve with something yummy, like new potatoes (Jersey Royals, how I love thee!)
  5. Come back here and leave a comment to say what you think…

Vegan Vietnamese Tomato Tofu (Dau Sot Ca Chua)

• Ingredients
  • 225g firm tofu
  • 3 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 200g chopped tomato, preferably fresh (but tinned is ok)
  • 25 ml water
  • 4 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • White pepper, to taste
  • Spring onion
  • Groundnut / peanut oil, to deep fry

• Directions/Method
  1. Press the tofu so you can get as much water out as possible. Cut the tofu into triangles, slices, or cubes no more than about two inches long.
  2. To make the sauce, which you should probably do first, simply fry up the garlic in some oil, add the tomato, water, half of the lime juice, the soy sauce, the pepper, and the sugar. Leave to simmer over a medium-low heat while you prepare the tofu.
  3. Heat a wok with a a few inches of oil to a medium temperature and deep fry the tofu pieces until lightly browned. An alternative is of course to lightly fry in oil on a skillet or even to bake, but deep-fried tofu is a treat!
  4. Serve the deep-fried tofu with the tomato sauce on top. Drizzle the remaining lime juice and some sliced spring onion over the dish, and go pig out. Serve with rice and/or grilled veg to bulk up into a fuller meal.

Vegan Thai Penang Curry

• Ingredients
  • 4 shallots
  • 6 cloves garlic
  • 2 tsp turmeric
  • red chilies (your preference here as to how much)
  • 1/2 lime and zest
  • 1/8 tsp cumin
  • 1/2 inch ginger, grated
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 3 tbsp soy sauce
  • salt, to taste
  • 1/2 tsp white pepper
  • Groundnut / peanut oil
  • 2 cups vegetable stock
  • 2/3 cup coconut milk
  • About 200g fake chicken product or tofu
  • large bunch of leafy greens (kale, spinach, etc…)

• Directions/Method
  1. First, prepare your eyes for the death they will experience from coming within 200 metres of cut shallots. Once you have got past this first hurdle, feel free to make a paste out of the first ingredients in the list. My preference is in hiring a slave to do this part of the job, but a blending utensil of some sort is also acceptable. Pestle and mortar is for brave souls only. I warned you.
  2. Heat a wok with a relatively liberal amount of oil (at least a couple of tablespoons) and fry up the fake chicken pieces or tofu until nice and brown. Shove over to one side of the wok and in the other half of the wok fry the paste, in some more oil if necessary.
  3. After a couple of minutes mix the fake chicken and paste together. Add the vegetable stock (a homemade stock is recommended). Stir until all ingredients are mixed and then add the coconut milk. Add salt, to taste.
  4. Chop your greens up and chuck ‘em in with the rest of the lot to simmer for about ten minutes. Serve warm, over rice.

Sri Lankan Faux Chicken Curry

• Ingredients
  • oil
  • 150g vegan/vegetarian “chicken” (any version will do, or even tofu)
  • 1 onion, sliced
  • 1 tsp freshly grated ginger
  • 2-3 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 1 tsp chilli powder
  • 1/2 tsp ground coriander
  • 1/2 tsp cumin
  • 1/4 tsp turmeric
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 2 cardamom pods
  • 125ml coconut milk
  • 1 tbsp cider vinegar
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste (or a couple of whole tomatoes)
  • 150ml water
  • salt and pepper to taste

• Directions/Method
  1. Saute the onions in a tablespoon or so of oil until they are nice and golden before adding the garlic, ginger, and all spices. Cook for a couple of minutes until fragrant.
  2. Add the fake chicken and fry a further couple of minutes (alternatively, you could fry the chicken separately and add later to the sauce). Add about 150ml of water and the vinegar, cover, and simmer on a low heat for around 20 minutes.
  3. Finally, add the coconut milk and allow to simmer on low for a further ten minutes.
  4. Voila! You have super-simple Sri Lankan vegan chicken curry! Serve over rice.

Creamy Risotto with Roast Asparagus

• Risotto ingredients
  • 1/2 onion, diced
  • olive oil
  • 1 clove garlic, crushed
  • 225g risotto rice
  • 1.5 litres homemade vegetable stock
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • vegan butter
  • Avocado, diced (optional)

• Roasted Asparagus ingredients
  • 125g asparagus
  • olive oil
  • 2 tsp lemon juice
  • sea salt
  • pepper (optional)

• Directions/Method
  1. Preheat the oven to 200 C. In an oven proof dish drizzle the asparagus generously with olive oil and a dash of sea salt. Place in the oven for about 20 minutes.
  2. While the asparagus is roasting, you can make the risotto. Begin by frying the onion and garlic in olive oil in a heavy-based saucepan until soft. Add the risotto rice and fry for a minute.
  3. Turn down the heat to a medium simmer. Add the stock 1 cup at a time, stirring often, allowing each cup to be absorbed before adding the next. This will take around 15-20 minutes. How will you know if/when it’s done? Taste it! It’s like pasta in that you need to sample the goods to check the texture and consistency to see if it’s ready.
  4. Remove from heat and split the risotto between two dishes. Add thin slices of non dairy butter on top of the rice (I used about 1 tablespoon each).
  5. Remove the asparagus from the oven and place on top of the risotto. Sprinkle lemon juice over the asparagus.
  6. If using, add avocado cubes.
  7. Serve and enjoy!

Simply Sage “Butter” Gnocchi

• Ingredients
  • 200g potatoes, boiled and mashed well with 2 tsp margarine
  • 75g flour
  • 2 tbsp nutritional yeast flakes
  • 2 tbsp fresh chopped sage
  • 20-25 whole sage leaves
  • Margarine to fry sage
  • salt to taste

• Directions/Method
  1. Mash the potatoes and butter/margarine very well and mix in flour, yeast flakes, chopped sage (if using), and salt (optional). Kneed into a smooth dough and refrigerate until cold. This is the sort of thing you can make the day before.
  2. When cold, lightly dust with flour and roll the dough out into a 3/4″ rope on a lightly floured surface. Cut the dough into approx 1/2 to 3/4″ pieces. If the dough begins to get too sticky, just flour it a little more.
  3. With a fork make indentations on the top of each piece and then place gnocchi in boiling water for around 5 minutes.
  4. While the gnocchi is cooking, you can quickly and easily heat some margarine in a frying pan to a high heat and fry the whole sage leaves for a minute or two until crispy.
  5. Remove the gnocchi from the boiling water with a slotted spoon. Drizzle sage “butter” and sage leaves over and serve with a leafy green salad or on its own.

Mushroom Towers with Saffron-Garlic Polenta and Balsamic Roasted Tomatoes

• Ingredients for roasted tomatoes:
  • 250g baby plum tomatoes
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
  • 4 tbsp vegetarian worcestershire sauce

• Ingredients for mushrooms:
  • 1 tsp white wine vinegar
  • 1 tsp soy sauce
  • 1/2 tsp sugar
  • olive oil
  • 4 portabella or white cap mushrooms for stuffing
  • Shredded vegan cheddar (optional)

• Ingredients for polenta:
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 cup polenta
  • 2 cups hot water
  • 1 tbsp chestnut puree
  • Large pinch of saffron
  • 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
  • Salt to taste

• Directions/Method
  1. Brush undersides of mushrooms with oil and then combine the vinegar, soy sauce, and sugar for the mushrooms. Spread over the inside of the mushrooms evenly and leave to marinate until ready to put into the oven.
  2. Combine the olive oil, salt, and mushrooms. Mix well and place on a roasting tin or tray in a 175 degree celcius preheated oven for approx 45 minutes to one hour. I like them to be quite well roasted (read: burnt), so I might up the oven temperate and stick the fan on, too. I strongly dislike raw tomatoes, so that’s probably why.
  3. For the polenta, begin by placing the water in a saucepan and adding the saffon threads to infuse for a few minutes. Keep the hob on a low heat and add the garlic and polenta. Whisk until smooth and leave over a very low heat for about 20 minutes, stirring often. The mixture will thicken a bit.
  4. After 20 minutes or so, add nutritional yeast, chestnut puree, and salt to the polenta mixture. Remove from heat.
  5. On a flat tray, stuff the mushrooms with even amounts of the polenta mixture and place in oven with the tomatoes for the remaining 15-20 minutes (give or take).
  6. To serve, mix the roasted tomatoes with the balasmic vinegar and worcestershire sauce. Decorate edges of two bowls or plates with tomatoes and place a mushroom in the middle of each. Stack a second mushroom on top, like a sandwich, and sprinkle with “cheese”, if desired.
  7. Serve smiling, and hopefully take a better picture than I did (it honestly looked better in real life!)

Aubergine with Tahini, Pomegranate, and Yoghurt

• Ingredients
  • two aubergines (eggplants)
  • extra virgin olive oil
  • salt
  • 1 tbsp pomegranate molasses
  • 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
  • 200g soy yoghurt (if it’s thin, try straining it in cheesecloth for a few hours first)
  • 1/2 tsp lemon juice
  • 2 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 1 tbsp tahini

• Directions/Method
  1. Preheat the oven to a very high temperature, at 240° C (475° F).
  2. Cut the aubergine either across or lengthways into 1.25cm thick slices. Oil both sides of the slices, sprinkle with a little salt, and place them on an oiled sheet of foil on a baking sheet.
  3. Bake for 30 minutes, turning once halfway through.
  4. Meanwhile, mix together yoghurt with the tahini, lemon, and garlic (tip: you can fry the garlic in a little oil for 20 or 30 seconds before adding to the yoghurt; the flavour infuses more quickly into the yoghurt this way).
  5. Mix pomegranate molasses together with the white wine vinegar and about a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil. When the aubergine slices are ready, arrange on a serving plate and brush both sides of the slices liberally with the pomegranate-vinegar dressing.
  6. Serve with yoghurt mixtue sprinkled on top.

Serves 2

• Stock:
  • 4-5 dried shiitake mushrooms soaked in 3 cups hot water
  • 2 tbsp mirin
  • 2 tbsp light/regular soy sauce
  • 1-2 tbsp tianjin preserved vegetables (optional)
  • brown rice miso paste to taste

• Carrots:
  • carrots, cut into small matchsticks
  • 1-2 tbsp fresh ginger
  • dried chilli flakes (as much or as little as you’d like)
  • 2 tbsp dried coconut
  • oil (preferably peanut / groundnut)

• Misc:
  • two blocks of dried noodles (ramen work)
  • spring onions, cut lengthways
  • 1/2 a purple onion, sliced thinly

• Tofu steaks (method 1):
  • firm tofu
  • soy sauce
  • vegetarian worcestershire sauce
  • sesame oil
  • wasabe powder

• Tofu Steaks (method 2):
  • firm tofu
  • mirin
  • soy sauce
  • ginger
  • liquid smoke
  • oil

1. For the the stock, soak four or five dried shiitake mushrooms in hot water for at least 20 minutes. The water will turn light brown in colour. Once brewed, either discard the mushrooms or use them to add to the noodles later (they’re yummy). Add mirin, soy sauce, and preserved vegetables. Don’t add the miso paste until just before you’re ready to serve the meal. 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.
2. Slice tofu blocks into 1/2 inch “steaks” and marinate in preferred sauce (or some of both, whichever you prefer) for 5-10 minutes. Bake slices in a 200 C oven for about 20 minutes on each side, so 40 minutes total.
3. Meanwhile, boil the noodles for a few minutes, until cooked. Drain and keep in cold water until ready to use.
4. About 5 minutes before the tofu slices are due to be finished, stir fry carrots in oil with ginger, chilli , and coconut. I like carrots to be quite crunchy, but if you prefer them to be more well done then you need to give yourself longer than the auggested 5 minutes.
5. When bean curd slices are cooked, bring the stock to a medium heat and incorporate miso paste. Add noodles.
6. Dish noodles and broth up in a large bowl and top with carrots, spring onion, and tofu slices.