Sweet Potato Hash

Serves: 4
Ready in: 45 minutes

I feel like my recipe for hash changes every single time I make it, but this sweet potato hash was a good one. It's filling but not to heavy and the joy of it is that you can throw in any bits of veg you have lying around.

Ingredients

• 2 large sweet potatoes
• 1 red pepper
• 1 cup chopped mushrooms
• 1 can sweet corn
• 1 can pinto beans
• 1/2 red onion
• 1/2 cup red wine
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 tbsp any vegetable oil
• 1 tbsp tomato puree
• 2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp onion powder

Garnish

• juice of 1 lime
• avocado
• vegan sour cream

Method

1. Chop the sweet potatoes in 1cm cubes and mix with 1 tbsp oil, smoked paprika and onion powder.
2. Roast potato mixture for 35 minutes, turning occasionally.
3. In a pan, saute the onion, pepper, mushrooms and garlic in 1 tbsp oil for 5 minutes.
4. Stir in the red wine, tomato puree, corn and beans and cook until the potatoes are done.
5. Mix in the potatoes and garnish with lime juice, avocado and vegan sour cream 

Substitutions

Red wine - vegetable stock
Sweet potatoes - potatoes, pumpkin, squash
Pinto beans - whatever beans you have will give you a similar effect

Chipotle Chickpea Toast

Ready in: 15 minutes

Serves: 2

I invented this chipotle chickpea recipe when I was having the kind of day where I needed to eat like, now. But I also really wanted something tasty. The kind of day where your energy has gone but you need some joy in your life, and of course we all know that that joy can be found in a tasty morsel. Cut to me hanging off the kitchen cupboards lamenting the lack of food in the house. 1 tin of chickpeas and an almost empty tub of guacamole later and I'd managed to scramble this together. It was so quick and so easy that I've had it about 20 times since. Sometimes I add another 1/2 cup of vegetable stock and cook for an extra 20 minutes for a mushier, thicker chickpea. 

Ingredients

• 4 slices bread (I just used sliced seeded bread)
• 1 can drained chickpeas
• 1/2 red onion
• 1/2 cup vegetable stock
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp tomato puree
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 tsp chipotle paste
• 1 tsp cornflour

To serve

• Juice of half a lime
• guacamole
• spring onion
• coconut yoghurt

Method

1. Saute chopped onions and garlic in a pan until soft
2. Add the chickpeas, stock, tomato puree an chipotle paste to the pan and mix in.
3. Mix the cornflour together with 1 tbsp cold water and add to the pan
4. Simmer until the stock has thickened to a saucy consistency- about 10 minutes
5. Toast the bread and top with the chickpeas, guacamole, spring onion and yoghurt

Substitutions

• Chickpeas - You can really use any bean you have. I've done this with borlotti and pinto and had the same effect. 
• Chipotle paste - You can substitute for 1tsp of any other chili paste you have or 1 chopped medium heat chili and another 1/2 tbsp tomato puree.

Sticky Gochujang Tofu

Serves: 2
Ready in: 30 minutes

I'm completely aware that I was taking a bit of a gamble when I first decided to see if gochujang and red wine were a compatible duo but I had a sad looking dribble of wine left in the bottle so I threw caution to the wind and whacked it in the pan. It helped to add a more savory edge to the fermented taste of the gochujang whilst also helping to dilute the spiciness. Because it is quite a spicy sauce, I recommend having it with some sort of fresh and juicy cooked veg like courgettes or with a salad.

Ingredients

• 200g extra firm tofu
• 2 courgettes
• 1 yellow pepper
• 30ml red wine
• 1/2 cup vegetable stock
• 1 tbsp gochujang
• 1 tbsp liquid sweetener 
• 1 tbsp tomato puree
• 1 tbsp vegan oyster sauce
• 2 tsp white miso paste

Method

1. To a pan, add the wine, stock, gochujang, sweetener, tomato puree, miso and vegan oyster sauce and boil down to a thick syrup (about 20 minutes) stirring frequently.
2. In a separate pan, saute the chopped courgettes and pepper for about 5 - 10 minutes. 
3. Once the sauce has become thick, add the cubed tofu and cook for another 5-10 minutes

Substitutes

• Red wine - you can just skip it entirely if you like.
• Gochujang - any kind of chili paste would be fine but I'm not sure if you'd get the same kind of sticky texture. 
• Tofu- I've also used this sauce on cauliflower buffalo wings

Maple Soy Aubergine

Serves: 2 as a side

Ready in: 30 minutes

I didn't know that honey soy was a thing until I went to Australia a couple of years ago, where honey soy chicken is literally everywhere. Obviously I can't eat most of the ingredients, so I waited until I got home to veganise it. It's been two years and I now basically just see all other foods as a vessel for this sauce. Aubergine is my favourite way to eat it though. It soaks the juice up perfectly when baking and anything left then caramelises on top.

Ingredients

• 1 aubergine
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 tbsp maple syrup
• 1 1/2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp powdered ginger

Method

1. Slice the aubergine longways into 4. Then score crosses into the flesh being careful not to cut through the skin or through the bottom. You want all sauce to stay inside the aubergine. 
2. Put on a baking dish and into the oven to bake for 20-25 minutes.
3. In a pan saute the garlic and then stir in the maple syrup, soy sauce and ginger. Simmer until thick and bubbling - about 5 minutes.
4. Remove the baking dish from the oven to brush a coating of the sauce onto the aubergine every 5-7 minutes until done.

Easy Caprese Penne

Ready in: 15 minutes
Serves : 2

I really wanted some mac and cheese but it's warm out for once so I also felt like something a lot lighter than that. Cut to me staring into the fridge for 15 minutes and this is the magic I discovered. I get that you may be questioning the 'easy' part of this recipe considering it has 3 separate components, but the ingredients for each are minimal and easy to make (everything can be made by the time the pasta is cooked). Plus you can include or omit as many parts as you like and it'll still be amazing.

Ingredients

• 150g penne pasta
• 1 cup vegan soft cheese
• 1 handful basil

Tomato Sauce

• 2 cups cherry tomatoes
• 1 tbsp tomato puree
• 1 tbsp liquid sweetner

Pesto

• 1/2 cup pine nuts
• 1 cup basil
• 1 clove garlic
• juice of half a lemon

Method

1. Cook the pasta in boiling water for 15 minutes or as long as it says on the bag.
2. Add the pine nuts, basil, garlic and lemon to a blender and puree.
3. Fill a small bowl with boiling water. Run a knife over the skin of half of the tomatoes, just enough to break the skin but not enough to cut through the flesh. Then add these to the boiled water for 2 minutes. Remove and place in cold water for 10 seconds. 
4. Slide the skin off the tomatoes and put into a pan, along with the tomato puree, liquid sweetener and 1/2 cup of water. Mash the tomatoes with the spoon to help it break down into a sauce. When it starts to boil, turn the heat down and add the rest of the tomatoes and basil to the sauce. Simmer until the pasta is cooked.
5. When the pasta is done, drain it keeping about 1/4 cup of the water in the pan. Mix the soft cheese in with the water and then mix in the pasta.
6.  Then add the sauce and pesto.

Bombay Masala Bagels

Ready in: 15 minutes
Serves : 2

There simply aren't enough savoury breakfast options in the world, even before you discount all non vegan options, so I'm on a one woman mission to some how turn literally everything into a savoury vegan breakfast option. 

Lesson 1 - If you can find a way to add yoghurt to it, you can call it breakfast.

I'll keep you updated on my findings. Anyway, here is my take on Bombay Masala Toast which is an Indian street food consisting of a potato filled toastie.

Ingredients

• 2 toasted bagels
• 1 large potato
• 1 tsp chaat masala
• 1 tbsp coconut yoghurt
• Juice of half a lime

Salsa

• 1/2 avocado
• 1/2 mango
• 1/2 small red onion
• Juice of half a lime

Method

1. Peel and chop the potato into small cubes.
2. Boil potato for 10 minutes or until soft
3. When cooked mash the potato, together with the chaat masala, yoghurt and lime.
4. Toast the bagels
5. Whilst toasting the bagels,  finely chop the avocado, mango and onion and mix in the lime as well as adding a pinch of salt and pepper.
6. Spread the potato mixture on the bagel and top with the salsa.

Substitutions

-If you have mango chutney and are not in the mood for prepping salsa first thing in the morning, you can just drizzle that on.

Warm Japanese Salad

Serves: 2 as a main, 4 as a side
Ready in: 25 minutes

I made WAY too much of this for 1 person, so (after using it for display purposes, naturally) I put it in the fridge and took it to a picnic the next day and its was just as good cold. Although, jokes on you if you're British and think you're getting another chance to picnic again anytime soon....

 Ingredients

• 1 pepper
• 1 aubergine
• 1 red onion
• 1 head broccoli
• 1 cup shiitake mushrooms
• 1 cup chopped deep fried tofu
• 2 cups bean sprouts

• 1 tbsp mirin
• 1/2 tbsp liquid sweetener
• 1 tsp tamari
• 1tsp garlic power
• 1/2 tsp ginger power
• 1/2 tsp sesame oil

Garnish

• Spring onion
• Sesame seeds

Method

1. Slice the aubergine into thin strips, place on a baking rack and cook on medium heat for 15 minutes.
2. Slice the pepper, onion, and cook in a wok with the mushrooms for 10 minutes.
3. Add in all other ingredients and cook for a further 5 minutes. 
4. Add in the cooked aubergine for the final couple of minutes.
5. Plate up and garnish.