Simple Overnight Oats

Rushing in the morning with no time to prepare breakfast? Try these very simple overnight oats; you can even make them up in a small lunchbox to eat on the bus or train.

Ingredients

50g oatmeal
150g plain soy yogurt snack
150g berries (fresh, frozen, canned) of choice
1-2 tbsp nut butter (optional) 

Optional toppings: 

Suitable-for-vegans granola
Suitable-for-vegans chocolate chips
Suitable-for-vegans sprinkles
Suitable-for-vegans cookie crumbs
Toasted or ground seeds

Directions

1. Mix the oatmeal with the soy yogurt. 
2. Meanwhile, heat the berries briefly (1 minute or so) to soften. 
3. Layer the berries and oats into a sundae glass. Top with peanut butter or one of the other optional toppings, if desired.

Peanut Tempeh Lettuce Wraps

This budget dish serves 2 (but you can easily scale it up) and it takes under 15 minutes. For an even cheaper dish, you can substitute tofu for the tempeh (cube and fry; no need to steam).

Ingredients: 

200g tempeh
1/2 head round lettuce, divided into leaves and cleaned
1 red pepper, diced
1/4 cucumber, halved lengthwise and sliced
1/4 cup sweetcorn
1 spring onion, sliced
2 tbsp peanuts, chopped

For the peanut sauce:

2 tbsp peanut butter
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp hot sauce (or to taste)
1 tbsp maple syrup

Directions: 

1. Steam the tempeh until tender, and then cut into chunks. 
2. Mix the peanut sauce ingredients. 
3. Place the lettuce leaves on a plate and top with the red pepper, cucumber, and sweetcorn. 
4. In a frying pan with a little spray oil, fry the tempeh until lightly coloured. Add 1/4 cup water and the peanut sauce, and stir to coat. 
5. Top the lettuce and vegetables with the tempeh, and sprinkle with peanuts. To eat, roll the leaves around the filling and enjoy!

Five-Minute Black Bean Tacos

This is one of our favourite quick dinners: flavoursome comfort food that’s ready in a flash!

Ingredients:

1 can black beans
4 corn tortillas
1 red pepper
1 carrot
½ green cabbage
2 green onions
½ cup all-plant coconut yoghurt
1 tbsp lime juice
½ tsp garlic granules
Salt and pepper

Directions: 

1. Shred the carrots and cabbage, and finely slice the pepper; I used a food processor to speed it up. 
2. Warm the beans and toast the tortillas in a pan to make them crispy. 
3. Make the dressing by mixing the coconut yoghurt, lime juice, garlic powder, and salt and pepper. 
4. Serve the tortillas with the beans, veg, and dressing.

Five-Minute Cauli Fried Rice

Either use pre-riced cauliflower (you may find it in the frozen food aisle) or rice your own cauliflower in a food processor. Sauté some onions, garlic, and ginger, and then add the cauliflower rice to the pan with your favourite selection of frozen veggies; we used sweetcorn, peas, mushrooms, and peppers. Mix a sauce of 2 tbsp hoisin, 2 tbsp soy, and 2 tbsp water. Stir through, and enjoy!

Tomato and Basil Beans

A really easy addition to your salads and sandwiches throughout the week. Simply mix, refrigerate, and use as desired.

3 cans butterbeans, drained and rinsed
3 tbsp suitable for vegans pesto
1 small bunch basil, torn or chopped
6 sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
Salt and black pepper

Roasted Butternut Squash

A fairly easy but impressive holiday dinner, packed with flavour.

Ingredients: 
1 butternut squash, halved and deseeded
1 onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic
250g mushrooms, chopped
50g hazelnuts, toasted and chopped
Fresh basil
Salt and pepper

Directions: 
1. Preheat the oven to 200C. 
2. Spray the butternut squash with a little oil, or rub with oil-coated kitchen towel. Place cut-side down on a baking tray and bake 15 minutes. Turn cut-side up and bake for 30 mins more or until done. 
3. Meanwhile, sauté the onion until slightly translucent. Add the garlic, mushrooms, and toasted hazelnuts and continue to cook. When just about cooked, stir in some fresh basil and season. 
4. When the squash is cooked, removed some of the flesh from the skin to hollow the squash out slightly. Mash, and mix with the mushrooms. Place back into the squash and bake 5 minutes more.

Ras-el-Hanout Stew

A warming and very flavoursome stew that’s made in the Instant Pot in about 10 minutes, but you can cook it on the stovetop too; it will just take longer to make the squash tender. This serves 4.

Ingredients: 

2 red onions, finely chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced 
1 inch ginger, grated
1 butternut squash
1 can chickpeas
1 can white beans of choice (alternatively, you can use another can chickpeas)
12 dried apricots, quartered
12 plum tomatoes, halved
500ml vegetable stock
2 tbsp tomato purée
1 tbsp ras-el-hanout
1 tbsp lemon juice
Salt and pepper

Directions: 

1. Prick the butternut squash, put it on a plate, and microwave for 5 minutes to soften. Allow to cool.
2. Meanwhile, sauté the onions until softened. Add the garlic and ginger for about a minute more, and then stir in the squash, beans, apricots, tomatoes, stock, purée, and spices. 
3. Cover, set the Instant Pot to Manual on high pressure for 3 minutes. When cooked, carefully release the steam. Alternatively, if cooking on the stovetop, cover the pot with a lid and cook for 15-20 minutes, or until the squash is cooked. 
4. Stir through the lemon juice, and season to taste before serving.

Sweet Chilli and Lime Yuba

A very easy, quick, and cheap lunch that serves 4. If you don’t have a spiraliser, you can use a vegetable peeler to create ribbons with the vegetables and cook them in the same way. 
 
Ingredients:
500g yuba (tofu skin, fresh or rehydrated)
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 inch piece ginger, grated
4 courgettes, spiralised
2 carrots, spiralised
1/4 cup sweet chilli sauce
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp lime juice
1/4 tsp Chinese five spice
2 tsp cornflour (cornstarch)
 
Directions:
1. Heat a nonstick frying pan over a medium heat, and coat with some spray oil. Fry the yuba until it starts to brown.
2. Add the garlic, ginger, and spiralised vegetables, and season the mixture lightly with salt. Continue to fry until the noodles are soft.
3. Meanwhile, mix the sweet chilli sauce, soy sauce, lime juice, five spice, and cornflour.
4. When the noodles have softened, add the sauce to the pan and cook until thickened. Serve hot.

Irish Colcannon

Colcannon is an Irish staple that can be cooked with either kale or cabbage, and it can be served as a a side or a main dish. This version is easy, cheap, quick, and nutritious. It serves 4 as a side.

Ingredients:
5 medium potatoes
100g kale, finely chopped
1 bunch scallions (green onions), green and white parts minced
Plenty of minced, fresh parsley
2 tbsp all-plant milk (I used soya) or cooking water
Salt and freshly ground white pepper

Optional additions:
suitable-for-vegans mustard
or
suitable-for-vegans horseradish
or
nutritional yeast

Directions:
1. Add the potatoes and kale to a large pot with plenty of cold, salted water. Bring to the boil, cover, lower the heat, and simmer until the potatoes are fork-tender (ours took 12 minutes).
2. Drain the potatoes and kale and return to the pot over a very low heat for a few seconds just to remove any excess liquid.
3. Mash the potatoes with the all-plant milk (using a little more if necessary). Mix in the scallions and parsley, season to taste (add in one of the optional ingredients, if desired), and serve.

Sweet Tomato Soup

If you want a really simple lunch, this Sweet Tomato Soup will remind you of those comforting canned tomato soups that you were served as a child–but with fewer heavily refined ingredients. This makes 2 large bowls.

Ingredients:
1 red onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
400 ml vegetable broth
2 cans (400g each) tomatoes in juice
1 tsp suitable-for-vegans sugar
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried parsley
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
1. Preheat a large stainless steel pan over a medium-low heat.
2. Add the onions and sauté until lightly coloured. Stir in the garlic for 30 seconds.
3. Deglaze the pan with a splash of the broth. Then add the tomatoes and the rest of the broth.
4. Stir in the sugar, and crumble in the dried herbs between your finger and thumb.
5. Allow to simmer, uncovered, on a very low heat for about 10 minutes. Season to taste, and serve.