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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!