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.

Veganised No Fuss Melktert

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

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

Pomegranate BBQ Okara Meatballs

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

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

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

Tofu Steak Salad with Mango-Lime Dressing

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

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

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

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

Vegan Sausage and Aubergine Stuffed Shells

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

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

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.

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.

Tofoumi: Vegan Halloumi Style Tofu with Lemon and Herbs

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

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

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).

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).

Vegan Panna Cotta with Lemon and Espresso

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

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

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

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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.

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.

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).

Sesame Tahini Miso Salad Dressing

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

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

Broccoli Potsticker Dumplings

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

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

Vegan Twice Baked Potatoes

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

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

Vegan Breakfast Samosas

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

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

Son in Law Tofu (Tao Hoo Luk Kheuy)

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

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

Vegan “Cheese” and Onion Okara Omelette

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

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

Deviled Tofu

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

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

Vegan Egg Salad

• Ingredients
  • 1 tbsp vegan mayonnaise
  • Scant 1/8 tsp black salt
  • Pinch of mustard powder
  • Pinch of turmeric
  • 45-50g firm tofu (about 1.5 oz)
  • Chopped dill pickle (optional)

• Directions/Method
  1. In a small bowl, cream together the mayo with the turmeric, black salt and mustard powder.
  2. Crumble the tofu in and mix again. Add pickles at the same time, if using.
  3. Slather your favourite bread with your favourite vegan butter and stuff with the egg mayo!

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.

<img title=”Vegan Pumpkin Ravioli” src=”http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2729/4053604744_372bd0fbc2.jpg” alt=”" width=”500″ height=”333″ />

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>

Vegan Japanese Yuba Maki

• Ingredients
  • Several sheets of yuba
  • A small clump of cooked noodles (rice, soba, something thin)
  • 1 julienned carrot
  • Spring onion, cut lengthways into 2 inch strips
  • Miso paste (light and dark)
  • Pickled ginger, slivered
  • Peanut oil to deep fry

• Directions/Method
  1. First prepare all of your filling ingredients. Julienne your vegetables and make sure your noodles are cooked. Keep the ingredients together on a plate or cutting board so you can easily put the rolls together.
  2. Heat the oil to a medium-hot temperature. A wok with a tempura rack is an ideal vessel. Don’t heat the oil so hot as to let it smoke. If it begins to smoke, turn it down a notch.
  3. You can make the rolls in multiple ways, either with triangular, circular, square, or rectangular sheets of yuba. Google up how to roll a spring roll for methods (yes, I’m lazy, and there are so many tutorials already).
  4. Spead a small amount of miso on the roll before adding a small handful (enough to cover just the palm of your hand) of vegetables, and roll ‘em up.
  5. Using one (or a few- they stick) strands of noodle, carefully wrap around the maki. This doesn’t have to be perfect, and if you can’t knot it then that’s okay too. Once you plop them in the oil, everything will bind.
  6. Deep fry for 2-3 minutes, or until just brown and crispy. Drain on a tempura rack or on paper towels and serve hot with soy sauce or your favourite Japanese style condiment.

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.

Vegan Aburga-Age Pizza Pockets with Coriander Tomato

• Ingredients
  • 2 rectangular pieces abura age
  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1/4 tsp ground coriander
  • 2 small-ish tomatoes, chopped
  • 1/4 tsp turmeric
  • Pinch of ground chili
  • Salt to taste
  • Pinch of sugar
  • Vegan cheese
  • 2 pieces age, sliced in half
  • Fresh basil, herbs (optional)

• Directions/Method
  1. If using pre-packaged age pouches from the store, refresh them and get rid of added oil by washing them in boiling water before use. Press them with a towel to get as much liquid out as possible, but a little is still okay.
  2. Preheat your oven grill to a medium-high setting.
  3. To make the sauce heat the oil in a pan over medium heat and fry the garlic, chili, and coriander for 30 seconds to one minute. Don’t let the garlic brown.
  4. Add the tomatoes and turmeric, plus salt to taste and a pinch of sugar. Mix completely and leave to simmer for 2-3 minutes before removing from the heat.
  5. Cut the age packets in half and open up the pouches gently. Put 1-2 teaspoons of sauce in each, followed by a slice or 12 of vegan cheese. Add some fresh herbs too, if you’d like. My preference is basil.
  6. Place under the grill for a few minutes before flipping and grilling on the opposite side. The age should be slightly crispy and browned, but so long as it’s hot it’ll taste good anyway!

Vegan Espresso Sherbet

• Ingredients
  • 1/4 cup cashews
  • 1/4 cup boiling water
  • 1/2 cup CremoVita soy cream
  • 1/2 cup coconut milk
  • 2 shots espresso
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1-2 measures vodka (optional)

• Directions/Method
  1. First put the cashews in a small container and pour the boiling water on them. Ensure the cashews have soaked for a good 15-20 minutes (or longer) before embarking upon the next step.
  2. To make the cream base, mix the coconut milk and cream together. Add to your blender along with the cashews and blend until creamy smooth. Remove from blender and set aside.
  3. Pull your espresso shots. If you aren’t lucky enough to have a real espresso machine, I’m sure some super strong filter coffee would work too. Mix with the sugar until partially dissolved and add to the cream base.
  4. If using, add the vodka.
  5. Freeze according to your ice cream maker’s instructions and enjoy later on!

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.

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.

Fresh Nigari Tofu in a Hot Vegan Dashi Broth

• Ingredients
  • Two blocks of tofu (firm-ish)
  • Hot water
  • 3 Dried shiitake mushrooms
  • 2 Tbsp Soy sauce
  • 1/2-1 tsp sugar
  • Splash of sesame oil
  • 2 tsp grated ginger
  • 2 tsp minced garlic
  • Chili flakes (optional)

• Directions/Method
  1. First make the broth by putting about 1 1/2-2 cups of hot water in a pot with the dried shiitake mushrooms. The number of mushrooms used for making the broth is only a suggestion and is based on the quality of the mushrooms as well as size. Add the soy sauce, sugar, ginger, garlic, and optional chili to the broth also at this time. Leave this to simmer over a low heat while you prepare the tofu.
  2. To prepare the tofu, place the blocks in a bath of hot water over a low heat. Don’t boil the tofu as you still want it in one piece. This serves no purpose other than to heat the tofu.
  3. After the broth has been a-brewin’ for 20 minutes or so, add a little bit of sesame oil to the broth, then remove the mushrooms and set aside. You can slice the meaty body away from the stems and serve with this dish (or another, like my inclusion in a mixed bean salad).
  4. Remove the bean curd from its hot bath and place each piece in the centre of empty bowls. Gently pour the broth over the hot tofu, using a spoon to catch the majority of the ginger and garlic as the liquid pours away. Top the hot bean curd with the remaining garlic and ginger, and serve immediately while hot.

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…

Crispy Tofu Cutlets With Blood Orange and Fennel Salsa

• Ingredients
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 3 tbsp white wine vinegar
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1.5 tsp fresh ginger
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 3 blood oranges, segmented
  • 1 small fennel bulb, cut into matchstick sized pieces
  • Fresh coriander, to garnish (optional)
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1 block of fresh, firm tofu, cut into blocks (approx 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch thick)
  • Corn flour / corn starch
  • Oil for frying (I prefer olive oil, but peanut / groundnut is also good)

• Directions/Method
  1. First make the salsa, which is pretty straightforward in that all it involves is throwing everything together in a bowl and mixing it up. Just make sure to catch all the yummy juice from the oranges! Got that?
  2. To make the crispy tofu, heat some oil in a frying pan or skillet. When the oil is hot, coat the tofu in corn flour and fry on both sides until crispy.
  3. Move relatively quickly at this point, so that you can serve the dish while the tofu is still hot and the coating nice and crispy. Just spoon some of the fennel and orange salsa over the tofu slices and serve garnished with a few pieces of fresh coriander, if desired.

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.

Broad Bean, Oven Roasted Tomato, and Arugula Pasta Salad

• Ingredients
  • 2 batches of soyquick soymilk, coagulated with nigari (I used 1 teaspoon nigari mixed with 1/2 cup hot water)
  • 1 TBSP Za’atar
  • 1 TBSP extra sumac
  • 1/2-1 TSP cumin, depending on how strong you want the flavour
  • 3-5 large garlic cloves, crushed
  • salt, to taste

• Directions/Method
  1. First make the spice mixture which will in the end flavour your tofu. With a pestle and mortar, grind the za’atar, garlic, extra sumac, cumin, and salt into somewhat of a paste. Set aside.
  2. Make the soy milk and coagulate into curds. Nigari is my coagulant of choice because it makes a nice, firm tofu. There are several different coagulants, such as calcium sulfate (used to make soft tofu, so not completely suitable here). Leave to sit for a few minutes.
  3. Strain the curds through a piece of clean, thin muslin, inside of the tofu press (which in turn is a good idea to set in a colander of some form in order to drain). Once most of the liquid has drained out, add the spice mixture and mix through the curds.
  4. Press in the tofu kit to push away as much liquid as possible. Place a heavy object on top of the press if necessary. Leave for at least one hour before use.

Crispy Garlic Tofu Teriyaki

• Ingredients
  • 1 block of fresh, firm tofu, cut into small squares or blocks (approx 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch thick)
  • 4 tbsp Mirin (you could use sherry if absolutely necessary)
  • 4 tbsp tamari
  • 1/8 tsp sugar
  • 1-2 garlic cloves, crushed (not used in this particular recipe’s pictures, but I usually use loads!)
  • Chopped spring onions for garnish
  • 1/2 cup corn flour (corn starch in the US, I believe?)
  • Peanut (groundnut) oil for frying

• Directions/Method
  1. To make the teriyaki sauce, mix the mirin, tamari, sugar, and garlic (if using) together in a small bowl and leave for at least 30 minutes (especially if using garlic, so it allows time for flavours to infuse and sugar to dissolve).
  2. Heat the oil in a deep wok or fryer to, uh, hot (I can’t give an exact temperature, but let’s say it should take 30-60 seconds to cook each piece of tofu). Just keep it below the smoking point, of course (why peanut oil is so great!)
  3. Once you’re confident the teriyaki sauce is ready, coat the tofu slices in corn flour and fry the tofu slices until brown (you may need to flip over, depending on how much oil you’ve got).
  4. Garnish with spring onions and serve immediately with teriyaki sauce drizzled over the tops of the fried tofu slices.

Edamame with Chilli, Garlic, Ginger, and Sea Salt

• Ingredients
  • 1 cup cooked shelled edamame
  • 2 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 1/2 inch ginger, grated
  • Dried chilli flakes
  • Margarine or olive oil
  • Salt, to taste

• Directions/Method
  1. Cook soya beans as instructed on package and then drain and set aside.
  2. In a small saucepan, fry ginger, garlic, and chilli flakes in oil for a minute or two over medium heat.
  3. Add edamame and mix just to coat before serving. Sprinkle with large flakes of yummy sea salt.

Miso Soup with Faux Chix and Spinach

• Ingredients
  • 3 cups of your choice of stock (mushroom works great!)
  • 1 or 2 tbsp miso paste
  • 1 vegan chicken filet (or tofu), cut into very thin slivers
  • 1/4″ cubes of firm tofu
  • a handful of spinach
  • spring onions, cut, to garnish

• Directions/Method
  1. Brew stock, but don’t add the miso paste yet.
  2. Cut the veg chicken into tiny slivers and add to stock, along with cubes of tofu.
  3. Make sure the soup is below a boiling temperature and add spinach and miso.
  4. Allow spinach to just wilt in the soup before serving, about two minutes cooking time.
  5. Garnish soup with sping onions and serve!

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.

Seasoned Tofu in Smoked Courgette Wraps

• Ingredients
  • 1 courgette, sliced longways into thin slices
  • small chunks of firm tofu (same number as there are courgette slices), drained, cut into chunks about the same height as that of courgette slices
  • a mix of middle eastern spices (I used ras al hanout plus a little extra cumin
  • juice of 2 lemons
  • 2 tbsp pomeganate molasses
  • a handful of walnuts
  • sugar (to taste)
  • liquid smoke
  • olive oil
  • ground arrowroot (thickener)

• Directions/Method
  1. Preheat your oven to around 200° C (400° F).
  2. Make sure the tofu has been drained and at least some of the water pressed out. You can do this by wrapping the tofu in kitchen towel or in a tea towel, then placing a heavy-ish book or two on top. Cut the tofu into chunks and roll in spices until covered completely. On a skillet with plenty of oil, lightly fry the chunks on all sides until just crispy.
  3. Lightly fry thin courgette slices in a little bit of oil until just soft and flexible, to the point where you can wrap them around the tofu without the courgette breaking. Allow to cool slightly so you don’t burn your fingers when making the wraps! Once cooled, sprinkle slices with a little bit of liquid smoke.
  4. Take a cube of tofu and wrap a slice of courgette around completely. Secure with a cocktail stick (toothpick) and put on a greased baking tray. Do the same with remaining tofu and courgette slices and bake for about 10 minutes.
  5. Meanwhile, place walnuts, pomegranate molasses, sugar, and 1 tbsp lemon juice in a small saucepan over low heat.
  6. In another saucepan, mix the rest of the lemon juice with a desired amount of sugar (I like this sauce to be quite tart, so I go easy on the sugar). Bring to a high heat and, if you want a thicker consistency, add a touch of ground arrowroot powder (tip: mix a little bit of the powder with some cold water in another container, and then add to the lemon sauce).
  7. To serve: Remove courgette wraps from the oven and carefully take cocktail sticks out. Arrange on a plate with a walnut on top of each parcel. Dot lemon sauce around the wraps for dipping.

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.

Yoghurt with Garlic

• Ingredients
  • A few cloves of garlic (your choice how much — I use at least 3 or 4 good sized cloves per cup of yoghurt!)
  • 2-3 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 cup soya yoghurt
  • A few splashes of lemon juice
  • salt and pepper to taste

• Directions/Method
  1. Heat the oil to a medium heat in a saucepan. Chop your garlic up relatively fine, or use a press, and add your garlic to the heated oil. Fry for a minute or two until the flavour of the garlic has had a chance to escape into the oil. Don’t let the garlic burn (if it does, I suggest tossing it out and starting over)!
  2. Whisk the garlic and frying oil in with the yoghurt, add lemon juice to taste, and that’s it! The longer the mixture sits, the more the flavour will intensify, but it’s just as amazing a treat to your taste buds if eaten straight away. Usually I enjoy this with some fresh pitta bread, lavash (a flat bread), or Syrian onion bread.
  3. Alternatively, if you have more time to spare, pound the garlic and lemon juice with a pestle and mortar into a paste, mix with the yoghurt and salt, leaving for at least a few hours for the garlic to infuse. You can omit the oil if you choose this method.