Sweet Potato Banana Bliss

A sweet and nutritious breakfast that’s well worth getting up for. Serves 2.

Ingredients

250g peeled and cooked sweet potatoes
1 banana
100ml soy (or other plant) milk
150g frozen berries, defrosted
50g oats

Method

1. Blend the sweet potato, banana, and soy milk.
2. Sprinkle the oats across the bottom of a small bowl. Pour over the sweet potato mixture. Leave to soak for 15 minutes.
3. Serve with frozen berries.

Mexican Beans and Rice

Ideal for packed lunches, this is a budget recipe that cooks up relatively quickly and serves 4.

Ingredients

250g rice, uncooked (produces 500g cooked rice)
2 x 400g cans kidney beans, rinsed and drained
2 carrots, finely diced
100g frozen peas
100g frozen sweetcorn
80g cabbage (we used the tough outer leaves of our sweetheart cabbage), finely shredded
5 cherry tomatoes, quartered
150g salsa
1/2 cup vegetable broth or water
1 tsp garlic powder

Directions

1. Cook the rice according to the packet directions.
2. Meanwhile, steam or boil the carrots, cabbage, frozen peas, and sweetcorn, until done to your liking. We added the kidney beans too, because sometimes those in tins can be slightly undercooked.
3. Add the cooked vegetables, beans, and cherry tomatoes to a large frying pan or saucepan with the water/broth, salsa, and garlic powder. Cook until the sauce is reduced and slightly thickened (about 5 minutes).
4. Serve the rice with the bean and vegetable mix.

Smoky Maple Jackfruit

This is a flavoursome side, and also makes for an interesting sandwich filling (try it with some rocket and sliced apple or pear). You can find young green jackfruit in brine or water (not syrup) in a can in your local Asian store.

Ingredients

2 x 280g cans (drained weight) young, green jackfruit in brine or water, drained and well rinsed
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp maple syrup
1 tbsp vegetable broth
2 tbsp nutritional yeast
1 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp garlic powder

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven for 220C. Steam or boil the jackfruit for 15 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, mix the rest of the ingredients in a shallow baking dish.
3. When the jackfruit is cooked, pull it apart with a fork, and set the seeds aside for eating on their own later.
4. Toss the jackfruit in the marinade.
5. Bake in the baking dish for 20 minutes, tossing halfway through.

Strawberry-Chocolate Parfait

Although this breakfast seems decadent, it takes under 10 minutes to prepare and will make enough for 4-6 servings. The strawberry cream, chocolate cream, and granola keep well in the fridge in separate containers. This is “technically” breakfast because it’s full of fruit and cereal, but it also makes a really delicious dessert.

Ingredients

2 cups frozen strawberries (or substitute with other frozen fruit, if you prefer)
2 tbsp + 1 tbsp maple syrup
2 cups suitable-for-vegan muesli or granola
300g silken tofu (available in your health-food shop, or in the Japanese aisle of your supermarket)
1 tsp lime juice
2 tbsp cocoa powder
1/4 cup peanut butter
1 pear per serving, chopped

Directions

1. Place the strawberries and 2 tbsp maple syrup in a bowl in the microwave and zap for 2 minutes, until the strawberries start to thaw and soften. If you have got a microwave, you can use a saucepan over a medium-low heat.
2. Meanwhile, in a frying pan over a medium heat, toast the muesli until golden brown (2-3 minutes).
3. Transfer the strawberries to the blender with the tofu and lime juice, and blend until smooth.
4. Remove half of the strawberry mix and set aside. To the rest, add the cocoa powder, the peanut butter, and the remaining 1 tbsp maple syrup. Blend again.
5. Layer a glass or bowl with alternating layers of pear, strawberry cream, muesli, and chocolate cream.Top with some granola, and some more chopped frozen strawberries.

Tomato, Butterbean, and Kale Soup

This thick and rich soup is full of interesting textures from the kale and the beans. It serves 4.

Ingredients
1 large onion, medium dice
5 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1 cup suitable-for-vegans vegetable broth, stock, or water
500 ml tomato juice
2 x 400g tins tomatoes
2 tsp suitable-for-vegans sugar
1 tbsp Italian herbs
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
3 cups kale, tightly packed
1 can butterbeans, drained and rinsed

Directions

1. Heat a large stainless steel soup pot over a medium-low heat. Add the onions and dry sauté, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes until nicely caramelised. Add the garlic and sauté for a further 30 seconds.
2. Deglaze the pan with the broth or water.
3. Add everything else but the kale and butterbeans, bring to a boil, and turn off the heat.
4. Blend the soup until smooth.
5. Add the kale and beans, bring to the boil, and simmer for 10 minutes.
6. Season with cracked black pepper, sea salt, and some chopped basil or parsley.

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Salad

A relatively easy salad with wonderful textures, this serves one as a main course or two as a side. Great for packed lunches, but pack the dressing separately so that the lettuce doesn’t become soggy.

250g baked and cooled sweet potato, cubed
1/4 cup cooked black beans
5 leaves romaine/cos lettuce, shredded
2 scallions/spring onions/green onions, diced
2 tbsp unsalted pistachio nuts, shelled
1 tsp each toasted sesame and pumpkin seeds
1 tbsp nutritional yeast (optional)
2 tbsp dressing of choice (e.g. Miso-Ginger dressing)

Directions
1. Add the romaine lettuce to a large bowl. Top with sweet potato. Sprinkle over black beans, scallions, nuts, seeds.
2. Top with dressing. Toss, and sprinkle with nutritional yeast.

Sushi Salad with Wasabi Dressing

This colourful salad balances the flavours of crisp, refreshing vegetables with the sweetness of pear and the unique flavour and health benefits of sea vegetables. It makes a perfect packed lunch; just carry the nori in a separate container and add it before serving. Serves 4.

Ingredients

For the salad

2 cups dried sushi rice, cooked and cooled
1 red pepper, finely diced
1 yellow pepper, finely diced
2 pears, finely diced
1/2 courgette, finely diced
1/2 cucumber, finely diced
4 sheets nori, shredded

For the dressing

2 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp lime juice
1 tbsp soy sauce or tamari
1 tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp white or yellow miso paste
3 pea-sized blobs wasabi paste, or more to taste

1. Mix all salad ingredients. Add the nori just before serving.
2. Mix all dressing ingredients.
3. Serve the salad with the dressing.

Butternut Squash and Carrot Soup

With only a few ingredients, this budget recipe is relatively fuss-free, and produces batch of flavoursome and healthy soup that will serve 6.

Ingredients

2 onions, chopped
1.5 litres vegetable broth
1 butternut squash, peeled and cubed
4 large carrots, peeled and sliced
Salt and pepper to taste

Method

1. Dry sauté the onions over a medium-low heat until caramelised, adding a splash of water if they start to stick.
2. Add about 1/4 cup vegetable broth to deglaze the pot.
3. Once the bottom of the pot looks clean, add the butternut squash, carrots, and the rest of the broth.
4. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer, cover, and allow to cook for 30 minutes or until the vegetables are fork-tender.
5. If you have a blender, you might like to try the soup smooth. If not, it will be just as delicious with the vegetables in chunks. Season to taste.

Miso-Carrot Dipping Sauce

A simple, budget recipe that’s great fun for children, and very versatile. It can be used as a spread, or even a sauce for pasta or vegetables. This recipe makes a large batch, but it keeps in the fridge for up to a week in a sealed container.

Ingredients

2 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped
2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
1 heaped tbsp yellow miso
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1-2 tsp salt
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp yellow or Dijon mustard
1 clove garlic

Directions

1. Boil the potatoes and carrots together until the potatoes are tender. Drain, reserving the cooking liquid.
2. Place all of the ingredients into a blender with 3/4-1 cup of the cooking liquid until you achieve the desired consistency.

Creamy Potato Dressing

This oil-free dressing is incredibly cheap and easy to make, and it’s a fantastic spread for sandwiches, dressing for potato salad or a dip for french fries, if you like potatoes with your potatoes. You can vary it by adding some sriracha for a spicy dip; 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley and 1 tsp garlic powder for a garlicky version; or even some smoked paprika for a smoky dip. This recipe makes 2 jars’ worth, so scale it down if desired. Because there is no oil, it will separate when stored, so just stir it back together again.

Ingredients

500g potatoes, peeled, boiled and cooled
2 tbsp cider vinegar
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp maple syrup
3/4-1 cup water

Method

Blend all ingredients in the blender, adding the water a little at a time until you like the consistency. The dressing will thicken in the fridge.