Speedy Chocolate Mug Cake

Rich, spongy, sticky: this chocolate mug cake is wholewheat and free from refined sugar. However, if you’re feeling decadent, you can serve it with some suitable-for-vegans chocolate sauce and/or peanut butter. Serves 1-2, depending on how much of a sweet tooth you have.

Ingredients

Suitable-for-vegan spray oil, for greasing the mug
1/2 small banana
70g dates, pitted and soaked for 5 minutes in boiling water, then drained
4 tbsp wholewheat flour
1 tbsp fairtrade cocoa powder
3 tbsp plant milk
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
1/4 tsp bread soda/bicarbonate of soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
Pinch salt
1/4 tsp vinegar

1. Grease the mug with some spray oil, or a kitchen towel dipped in a little vegetable oil
2. Blend the rest of the ingredients until smooth.
3. Transfer to the mug, and microwave on full power for 2-3 minutes until cooked.

Easy Oaty-Coconut Cookies

A very simple cookie that’s perfect for those new to cooking. Not much can go wrong with these (apart from the inherent wrongness of the fact that you have to allow them to cool before tucking in!). Makes 26 cookies.

Ingredients

1 cup plain flour
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup dessicated coconut
1/3 cup brown suitable-for-vegans sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup vegan vegetable fat spread
3 tbsp golden syrup (if you want your biscuit chewier, use less)
2 tbsp water
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180C (fan 160C).
2. Sift the flours into a mixing bowl, and add the oats, coconut, sugar and salt. Mix to combine.
3. Melt the margarine in a saucepan over a low heat. Turn off the heat, and add golden syrup, water and bicarbonate of soda.
4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry, and mix well.
5. Roll the mixture into walnut-sized balls, flatten between the palms of your hands, and place on a lined baking tray (I needed two), leaving some space in between each as the biscuits will spread slightly as they cook.
6. Bake for 15 minutes (if, like me, you had to use two trays, give them 8 minutes on their respective shelves and then swap them over).
7. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack for 20 minutes or until completely cool.

Banana-Blueberry-Walnut Muffins

Perfect for breakfast or a sweet snack, these muffins are oil-free and quite easy to make.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups oat flour (I ground down 1 cup oats in the blender)
1/2 cup oat bran
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
Pinch nutmeg
1 tsp mixed spice
3 ripe bananas, mashed
1/3 cup unsweetened soy milk (or other all-plant milk of choice)
1/2 cup liquid sweetener (e.g. brown rice syrup, date syrup, agave nectar, maple syrup)
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup blueberries
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180C. Line a silicone muffin tin with paper or silicone cases.
2. In a large bowl, mix the flour, bran, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, and mixed spice.
3. In another large bowl, mix the bananas, plant milk, sweetener, vanilla, and vinegar.
4. Mix the wet ingredients into the dry and stir well to combine.
5. Add the blueberries and the walnuts and fold in, being careful not to overmix.
6. Fill the muffin tins with the mixture, and bake until a toothpick inserted into the muffins comes out clean.

Five-Minute Oat Flatbread

Simple, quick, tasty, and extremely inexpensive: what more could you ask for in a flatbread? This uses aquafaba (liquid drained from a can of chickpeas), which is a superb binder in cakes, and a lovely coating to help your spices stick to oil-free oven fries.

Ingredients

100g oats (blended to a flour if you have a blender; left whole if not)
1/4 cup aquafaba
1 tsp each garlic powder and smoked paprika

Directions

1. Mix the oats, spices, and aquafaba.
2. Add extra water if needed to make a sticky dough that you can form into a ball with a fork (the consistency doesn’t really matter here; you can make these very loose like pancakes, or very firm like patties).
3. Preheat a nonstick pan over a medium heat, divide the mix into two, and place in the pan. If you’ve got a firmer mix, you may need to flatten it out with the back of a spatula.
4. Fry for 2-3 minutes each side until the dough is set and lightly golden.

Baked Samosas with a Chip Shop Curry Sauce

Not only is the chip shop curry sauce extremely simple to make and very tasty, but these baked samosas have an air-fryer option. Once you master the art of folding the first one (there are lots of online videos to demonstrate it, and it’s far less complicated than you’d think), these are also very easy to make.

The samosa filling

Ingredients

1/2 tsp each mustard, cumin, nigella seeds
1/4 tsp fennel seeds
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1/2 inch ginger, minced
1 garlic clove, minced.
60g frozen peas
1/4 cup coconut milk, water, or broth
Four large handfuls of spinach
600g cooked and lightly mashed potato
1 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp turmeric
1-2 tsp lime juice
Salt, to taste

Method

1. Heat the seeds in a dry pan over a medium heat until they start to pop.
2. Lower the heat, and add the onion and ginger. Cook for a few minutes, until onion starts to soften. Add garlic for 30 seconds.
3. Add frozen peas and coconut milk, water, or broth.
4. Stir in spinach until wilted.
5. Add potato, garam masala, turmeric. Stir until combined, using some water, broth, or coconut milk to loosen anything that has stuck to the pan. Stir in lime juice, and salt to taste.

Pastry

Suitable-for-vegan samosa wrappers or wonton wrappers. Depending on what shape you want, folding methods will differ. There are lots of step-by-step photos online for both rectangular and square versions. Use a glue made of flour and water to seal; don’t worry about gaps: these will be baked, so you don’t have to worry about oil soaking in.

Sauce

Ingredients

1/2 onion
2 cloves garlic
1 inch piece ginger
1/2 tsp ground cumin
pinch cinnamon
1/2 cup coconut milk
2 tbsp dark soy sauce
1 tbsp mild or medium curry powder
1 tbsp tomato purée

Method

Blend and heat. It’s that simple!

To cook

1. Preheat oven to 220C. Cook for 15 minutes. Turn. Lower the heat to 180, and cook 10 minutes more.

OR

2. Preheat air fryer to 200C. Cook samosas for 5 minutes, rearrange, and cook for another 4.

Vegetable Tofu Tart

This tart is is oil-free, full of vegetables, and with a delicate umami flavour. Feel free to use shop-bought suitable-for-vegan pizza dough for the crust if you want to speed up the cooking process.

Ingredients

For the crust

2 – 2 1/2 cups wholemeal flour (amount will vary according to the flour used; extra for dusting and rolling)
1 tbsp quick-acting dry yeast
1 tsp suitable-for-vegans sugar or maple syrup
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup warm water; more if necessary

For the caramelized red onion

1 red onion, sliced into thin rings
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp suitable-for-vegans sugar or maple syrup

For the vegetable filling

1 yellow pepper, finely diced
1 red pepper, finely diced
1 cup broccoli florets, chopped small
2 cups spinach, tightly packed

For the tofu filling

1 pack silken tofu (approx. 350g)
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic granules
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp yellow miso paste

Directions

To make the dough

1. Preheat oven to 170C.
2. Knead all of the ingredients together with 2 cups flour. If the mixture seems too moist, add more flour. You should have a smooth, but sticky, dough.
3. Set aside in a warm place to rise for 30 minutes.

To make the caramelised red onions

1. Heat a nonstick pan over a medium heat. Add onions and cook for 5-10 minutes until browned, stirring frequently.
2. Add the balsamic vinegar and sugar and cook, stirring, until onions are softened. Set aside.

To make the vegetable filling

1. In a large, nonstick frying pan over a medium-low heat, sauté the peppers and broccoli until the broccoli starts to tenderise (about 10 minutes).
2. Add the spinach and allow to wilt. Turn off the heat.

To make the tofu

Blend all ingredients in a blender until smooth.

To assemble

1. Lightly spray a 10-inch flan tin or cake tin with oil, or line with parchment.
2. On a surface dusted with flour, knock back the dough. You can knead it with a little more flour at this point to make it pliable. Roll into a circle large enough to cover the bottom and sides of the dish. Fill the dish with the dough and trim away any excess that overlaps the edges.
3. In a large bowl, mix the vegetable filling and tofu filling. Spoon into the dough-filled tin.
4. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and top with the caramelised onion. Return to the oven for 5 minutes more. Cut, serve, and enjoy.

Caramelized Red Onion and Asparagus Tart

This rich and decadent tart is ideal for a festive dinner. It serves 2 as a main dish or 4 as a substantial starter, and is very simple to make, relying on store-bought, ready-rolled suitable-for-vegan puff pastry.

Ingredients

2 red onions, sliced into thin rings
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tsp maple syrup
100g fresh asparagus, trimmed and chopped into 1-inch lengths
350g silken tofu
1/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes
1 tsp dried rosemary
1 tsp dried sage
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp garlic granules
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper to taste
1 pack ready-rolled suitable-for-vegans puff pastry

Method

1. To caramelize the onions, heat a nonstick pan over a medium heat. Add onions and cook for 5-10 minutes until browned, stirring frequently. Add the balsamic vinegar and sugar and cook, stirring, until onions are softened. Set aside to cool.
2. To make the tofu filling, place the tofu, yeast, herbs and spices, and mustard in a blender and blend until smooth. Season to taste.
3. Cut the sheet of puff pastry as desired, or leave whole. Spread with the tofu filling, leaving an inch uncovered around the edges.
4. Top with red onions and asparagus. Return to the refrigerator for 30 minutes to cool again.
5. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 180C. Bake on a parchment- or silicone-lined tray for 20 minutes until golden.

Single-serve strawberry cobbler

Cobbler is a simple alternative to pie, combining seasonal fruit with sweetened biscuit dough. This version is simple, rustic dessert sized for one. The recipe easily doubles with a second ramekin.

Ingredients

For the strawberries
2/3 cup of sliced strawberries
3T sugar (or to taste)*
2t corn starch
1/2 lemon juice

For the dough
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/2t baking powder
2T sugar*
A pinch of coarse sea salt
3T unsweetened soy milk
1t apple cider vinegar
1T canola oil

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350F.
Toss the strawberries with the lemon juice, corn starch and sugar.
Add the fruit mixture to the bottom of a ramekin.
For the dough, mix the dry ingredients, the wet ingredients, and then the wet with the dry until you have a wet dough.
Pour the dough over the fruit mixture and smooth.
Bake for 20 – 30 minutes, or until the dough is starting to brown lightly. Ovens vary; use the colour of the dough as your guide.
Cool for 15 minutes to enjoy warm or chill covered with aluminum foil for 2 hours to enjoy cold.

*A growing number of white cane sugar is processed without animal bone charcoal. Organic cane, beet, agave, and other alternatives are available.

Blueberry buckle with cashew ginger streusel

A traditional coffee cake similar to bublanina and other desserts. Trade the cashews for walnuts for something more traditional.

Ingredients

For the buckle
2 cups wheat flour (1)
2t baking powder
1/4t coarse sea salt
3/4 cup unsweetened soy milk
1 cup sugar (2)
1T ground flax meal
1/4 cup, 1/2T and 1 1/2T plant-only shortening, divided
2 1/2 cups blueberries, 1/2 cup reserved

For the streusel
1/4 cup cashews, chopped
1/4 cup sugar (2)
1 1/2T wheat flour
1/2t dried ground cinnamon
1/4t dried ground ginger
1 1/2T plant-only shortening
1/4t coarse sea salt

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375F.
In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and sea salt.
Cream the sugar, soy milk, 1/4 cup shortening and flax seed.
Combine the wet and dry ingredients to form a dough.
Add 2 cups blueberries until well mixed throughout the batter.
Grease a 9″ x 9″ baking pan with 1/2T shortening.
Add the batter to the pan and add the remaining blueberries over the top.
Mix the streusel ingredients until well-combined and crumble over the top.
Bake on the middle rack for 25-30 minutes until a fork comes out clean. Ovens vary; use the color, texture, and a fork test as a guide.
Turn off the heat and let cool in the oven for 10 minutes.
Remove from the oven, let cool another 10 minutes, slice and serve warm, or let cool 30 minutes, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate over night.

1. The harder the flour, the more rustic the texture. Use cake flour for something light and airy.

2. A growing number of cane sugars are bleached without the use of animal bone charcoal. Organic cane sugar, beet sugar, and otherwise unbleached sugars are typically fine.

 

 

Soda bread

Soda bread is quick, versatile, and easy to make, involves no kneading and no worries about whether your dough will rise because of the yeast. This version trades the traditional wheat for gluten free flours and produces a chewy crust and a light, lightly sweet crumb. Shown here as a roasted tofu sandwich with spring mix and kale.

Ingredients

1 cup brown rice flour
3/4 cup cornstarch
3/4 cup tapioca flour
1T masa harina flour
1T coconut sugar
1T milled flax seed
1t baking powder
1/4t baking soda
Coarse sea salt to taste
1 cup soy milk
1T balsamic vinegar

Optional: Glaze with 1T unsweetened soy milk for a browner crust. Raisins are a common addition. This version uses no oil, but 1T cooking oil with the liquids will yield a flakier crust. Replace the balsamic vinegar with white vinegar if you prefer.

Method

Mix together the dry ingredients. Mix the wet. Mix the dry with the wet until a stable dough forms, form into a ball, but don’t knead. Preheat the oven to 450F (or the highest temperature to which your baking paper is rated). Let the dough rest while the oven warms up.

When the oven is ready, add the dough to the baking sheet lined with baking paper, press down slightly, and cut the top of the loaf with a large cross (or similar design). Bake for 25 – 35 minutes, or until the bread is lightly browned. Ovens vary; use the colour and texture of the bread as a guide. Remove from heat. Cover with a clean tea towel while the bread cools. Slice and serve.

For a more traditional version, replace everything up to and including the flax seed with 2 – 2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour. Start with 2 cups and add more flour as necessary. Replace the baking powder and soda with 1t baking soda. Replace the 1T balsamic vinegar with 1/2T balsamic and 1T unpasteurized sauerkraut vinegar if you have it. Adjust the baking time accordingly.