Pure pure pure this soup is made from the wholiest of ingredients roasted squash and broccoli, mixed with some beans and topped with chopped cashews for an exotic twist. I saved the broccoli water for the stock.
Prep time: 15min – 1 hour
Serves 2
400g roasted squash
200g broccoli
500ml stock
½ – 1 can of kidney beans
40g cashews chopped
bread
I roasted half a squash one day and prepared amultitude of dishes with it, this is one of them. If you have already roasted your squash (45minutes at 180 degrees fan oven) this soup takes a matter of minutes. Boil broccoli for 10-15minutes. Blend squash and broccoli with broccoli water to a smooth, thick consistency. Mix in your can of beans (drained) and heat on the hob until heated through. Serve with bread and nuts.
Roasted squash brings charred sweetness, olives bring saltiness, blended together in saucy tomato with a proteinous lift from the tofu. I made this pie out of leftovers fusing Mediterranean and English flavours. Served with purple sprouting broccoli, or you choice of greens, this vegan pie makes a healthy dish. I seasoned the filling with fresh parsley from the garden and cloves of garlic to create a spring time meal bursting with flavours.
Prep time 1 hr 15min
Serves 4
500g roasted squash
drizzle of roasting oil
300g ready made shortcrust pastry
200g tofu
15 olives, halved
can of tomatoes
cherry tomatoes halved (optional)
3 cloves garlic, halved
sprigs of parsley
300g broccoli
for the dressing:
nut butter
soya yoghurt
Drizzle in oil and roast the squash at 180 degrees at the top of a fan oven for 40 minutes, check it isn’t sticking at 30minutes. Roll your pastry into a shape that covers your pie dish with some spare for the lid. Crumble half your tofu onto the pastry, add half your squash, add half the olives, add half the tomatoes. Repeat until the pie dish is full. Stick the cloves of garlic into the mix and add parsley sprigs. Add the lid to the pie dish. Preheat oven to 180 degrees fan oven and move shelf to centre of oven. Cook pie for 25 minutes. At T minus 15 minutes prepare and put the broccoli on to boil. Mix the yoghurt with nut butter in a ratio of 2:1. Serve pie, broccoli and dressing.
Strognoff is one of my favourite dishes, creamy paprika-ness just so easy to eat and tasty too. This recipe includes spinach and walnuts for added calcium and iron.
Prep time 30 minutes
Serves 3
150g rice – if cooking brown rice, put that on to boil first
Drizzle of oil in pan
Chop 1 onion and 3 cloves of garlic and fry in oil
Sprinkle 1 tsp paprika over onion
Add 500g mushrooms chopped
Add 80g walnuts chopped
Add 250ml of stock
Add a can of kidney beans
Add a bag of spinach
Add a pot of vegan sour cream / or creme fraiche, mix well and leave to simmer for 15 minutes
Serve with a squeeze of lemon juice, salt and pepper
Inspired by Central and South American soft wraps, this vegan burrito combines sweet corn, avocado, rice and sauces to create a sumptuous, colourful meal. Nutritional yeast add a cheese-like dimension as well as adding to the nutrition of the meal.
prep time 25 minutes
per person:
1 tbsp brown rice / 25g
¼ red onion, chopped
45g sweetcorn
50g kale chopped
½ teaspoon of stock (for boiling kale)
1/3 can of black beans
3 teaspoon tomato puree
teaspoon garlic puree
half an avocado sliced
one fresh tomato chopped (optional, if seasonal!)
2 x soft wraps
vegan mayonnaise
lemon juice
nutritional yeast
First things first, put your brown rice on to boil, this is what takes the most amount of time at 25 minutes. Finely chop your kale and boil in stock, allow 10 minutes. Drizzle some oil in a frying pan and once warmed add onion, sweetcorn, beans, tomato and purees. Mix well. You may have three pans on the go but each one is super simple to manage. Slice your avocado. Build your wrap. Spread a thick layer of mayo on your wrap. Drizzle kale with lemon juice. Sprinkle nutritional yeast over contents of wrap.
I created this recipe when it was still cold but still useful for using up the winter veg of broccoli and leeks. An earthy, spicey one pot stew incorporating lentils and beans instead of meat, this gravey laden mix fuses Indian flavours with British veg.
Prep time 45 minutes
Serves 4
125g brown lentils
Half a teaspoon of stock (to boil the lentils)
250g leeks, chopped
250g broccoli, chopped
250g mushrooms, chopped
one can black beans, drained
250ml stock
can of chopped tomatoes
tomato puree, garlic puree
curry leaves, garam masala, or cumin
Put lentils on to boil in some water and stock. Chop leeks and fry in a little oil in a large frying pan. Add spices, curry leaves etc to frying pan. Chop broccoli and add to frying pan. Chop mushrooms and add to frying pan. Once veg have been coated in oil and spice, add stock water, tomatoes and purees to frying pan. Add black beans. Bring to boil and simmer. As soon as lentils are cooked – roughly 25 minutes – add to pan and simmer for a further 20minutes. Serve with bread and a generous dollop of tahini.
Classic Italian vegan pasta dish, in the colours of the Italian flag!
Prep time 20 minutes
serves 3
Drizzle of oil
3 cloves garlic
herbs (mixed, or oregano), salt and pepper
1 can cannellini beans
1 can chopped tomatoes
260g spinach, chopped
15 olives, halved
150g – 180g pasta
Slice garlic and fry in a little oil, herbs, S & P. Add tomatoes and beans. Bring to boil, simmer for 7 minutes. Put pasta on to boil. Add spinach and olives to sauce, simmer. When pasta cooked, drain and add to sauce in pan. Stir well and serve.
Spring is coming but the winter veg is still going strong with leeks leftover, and purple sprouting broccoli enduring the cold weather. This recipe uses tarragon and fenugreek to heighten the savoury taste of the vegetables, with coconut milk creating a smooth, creamy sauce. Leeks and broccoli are a fantastic combination, complementing each other in flavour and texture.
Prep time 30minutes
Serves 3
drizzle of oil
250g leek, sliced
50g spring onion, sliced
Fenugreek, tarragon, salt and pepper
200g purple broccoli, roughly chopped
can of white beans
can of coconut milk
couscous (45g each)
watercress salad
crusty bread
nutritional yeast
Drizzle oil into large frying pan over a medium heat. Add sliced leeks, onion, herbs and spices. After 5 – 10 minutes, add chopped broccoli and fry for a few minutes. Add beans from can. Pour on coconut milk. Bring to boil and simmer for 10 – 15 minutes, until broccoli is cooked through. Serve with watercress drizzled in oil, and couscous. Nutritional yeast optional.
Nothing beats gravy and mash potato. This vegan twist on the traditional shepherd’s pie combines veggie sausages with brown lentils to create the filling, and sweet potato mustard mash for the topping. Served with spinach in tomato on the side, this rainbow coloured dish covers a lot of nutritional bases. Calcium in the sesame seeds and soya sausages, iron in the spinach and its complementary vitamin C in the tomatoes.
prep 1 hour
serves 4
For the topping:
600g sweet potatoes
10grams vegan butter
Splash of oat milk
Spoonful of mustard
For the filling:
250g brown lentils
6 veggie sausages
250g mushrooms
3 clove garlic
Pinch of salt
4 handfuls sesame seeds
200ml stock
Can of tomatoes
On the side:
200g spinach
Leek, sliced
Boil lentils for 25 minutes. Chop potatoes into 2” pieces and put on to boil for 20 minutes. Grill veggie sausages as per instructions. Chop mushrooms and fry in garlic and salt. Add sesame seeds. Once sausages are cooked, chop into pieces and add to mushrooms. Once potatoes are cooked, add butter, milk and mustard and mash. Once lentils are cooked, mix in with mushrooms and sausages to create the filling. Take one pyrex dish, pour in the filling. Mix the stock with half a can of tomatoes and pour over filling. Top with the mash. Place in oven at gas mark 4 / 180 / 160 fan, for 20 minutes. Prepare your side of greens in a large saucepan. Fry the leeks in a little oil, add spinach, then tomaotoes. Place lid on pan and allow spinach to wilt. Serve pie with spinach on the side.
Craving omlette? Chickpeas contain all but one of your essential amino acids, and chickpea flour can be used as a n egg substitute. The unique flavour of fried vegetables in an omelette got me experimenting with chickpea flour after seeing a recipe in Stephen Walsh’s book Plant Based Nutrition and Health. I could not find any gram flour in my local shops, so I made my own by grinding dry chickpeas in my nutribullet with their special grinder blade. The taste was an authentic, filling meal that could be eaten as is, or wrapped in bread to make a sandwich: un bocadillo de tortilla espanola, reminding me vividly of my time in Spain.
Prep time 30 minutes
Serves 1
Batter: 100g chickpea flour, 150 ml water
Drizzle of oil
60g Onion chopped
100g sweet potato finely diced
One third of a green pepper chopped
80g spinach
Dollop of tahini
Drizzle oil in a non stick frying pan with a lid. Add onions, sweet potato and peppers and put the lid on. While potatoes are cooking make the batter in a jug. To mix batter, first make a paste with a little water then add water gradually. Once potatoes are cooked, add spinach to frying pan. Drizzle some more oil and allow to heat up. On a medium heat, pour batter over the cooked vegetables in the pan. Shake the pan regularly to avoid sticking. Use a plastic spatula to lift the edges and help avoid sticking. After 5 minutes your tortilla is porbably ready to be flipped. Unless you have a tortilla frying pan, yes they do exist, you will have to flip the tortilla in halves using your large “turner” spatula. The surface underneath should be golden brown. Keep shaking the pan. After another five minutes your tortilla is ready.
Pushed for time, or can’t be bothered to cook, wraps make the perfect slap up meal. Combining beans with greens, mushrooms, garlic and nut butter, the flavours and textures combine to make a satisfying meal.
Prep: 15 minutes
per person:
50g kale
stock (to cook kale)
1 clove of garlic, sliced
60g mushrooms chopped
80g black beans
30g couscous
2 x tortillas
15g nut butter, spread on wrap
lemon juice on kale
3 tsp nutritional yeast (optional)
Chop the kale and put on to boil in stock. Lightly fry garlic. Chop mushrooms and fry with garlic. Add beans to mushrooms. Prepare couscous with boiling water in a bowl. Spread generous helping of nut butter on wrap. After ten minutes, drain kale and place in a bowl, drizzle with lemon juice. Pour mushrooms and beans into the bowl. Bring couscous to the table and prepare your wraps. Either layer couscous, mushrooms and kale, or pre mix the three ingredients in frying pan to make a tasty salad. Build wrap, and add nutritional yeast for nutrient boost and cheese like flavour.
Sarasvati Flow 