Green Bean Casserole

A wonderfully comforting dish, this serves two. Feel free to double or even triple the recipe: you’ll want extra helpings!

For the Mushroom Sauce:

½ yellow onion, roughly chopped
300g white mushrooms, roughly chopped
2 cups vegetable broth
1 cup soy (or other all-plant) milk
½ tsp salt, or to taste
¼ tsp white pepper
½ tsp dried sage
½ tsp dried rosemary
½ tsp dried thyme
¼ cup nutritional yeast
2 tbsp cornflour

For the Casserole: 
400g frozen green beans

For the Topping: 
4 onions, cut into strings and fried (we air fried ours, which takes much longer than deep frying; instructions below).

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 170C.
2. Make the sauce by sautéing the onions and mushrooms over a medium low heat until the mushrooms start to release their liquid. Don’t allow to take on much colour. Add the rest of the ingredients apart from the cornflour, and simmer for about 20 minutes. 
3. Meanwhile, cook the green beans according to package directions, and refresh in cold water to stop them cooking. Drain. 
4. When the sauce is ready, blend and return to the pot. Mix the cornflour with enough water to get a smooth paste. Add to the sauce and simmer to thicken. 
5. Transfer the beans to an ovenproof dish and pour over the sauce. Bake for 20 minutes. 
6. Top with the crispy onion strings and serve. 

To make the onion strings: 
1. Slice the onions on a mandoline. 
2. Transfer to an air-fryer basket and fry for 5 minutes at 120C. Toss and fry for another 5 minutes.
3. Lower the heat to 100C, and fry the onions for another 50 minutes or so, tossing often and checking that they don’t burn.

Oat-Stuffed Bell Peppers with Carrot Umami Sauce

It’s a vegan classic, the stuffed pepper. Here, we’ve served it with a sauce that’s so good that you’ll lick the serving spoon!

To make the sauce: 

Ingredients: 
2 carrots, trimmed and sliced
1 potato, scrubbed and chopped
1 garlic clove
1/2-1 cup water
1 tbsp miso paste
salt, to taste

Directions: 
1. Add carrots and potato to a pan. Cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, simmer, and cook until fork-tender. 
2. Drain and add to a blender with the rest of the ingredients. Season to taste. 

To make the stuffed pepper: 
1/2 red onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup oats
2 tbsp hummus
1/2 cup Carrot Umami sauce
2 bell peppers, deseeded (if you’re following the plan, yours will each have a slice removed that we used for previous meals) 
Small handful spinach

Directions: 
1. Preheat oven to 180C. Fry the onion until lightly caramelised. Add the garlic until just fragrant. 
2. Mash the beans in a bowl. Add in the oats, onion and garlic, hummus, and carrot umami sauce. Season to taste. 
3. Stuff the peppers with the oat mix, pressing in well with your hands. 
4. Place the peppers on a silicone- or parchment-lined baking tray, and bake 25 minutes, or until the pepper has cooked. 

To serve: 
Suitable-for-vegans tortilla chips
Suitable-for-vegans salsa

Serve the dish with a large handful of tortilla chips, more Carrot Umami sauce, and some of the salsa.

Nori and Rice Salad

A healthy, nourishing salad that’s really filling and packed with flavour.

Ingredients: 
½ cup dry weight sushi rice, cooked according to package directions
1 carrot, shredded
60g broccoli, in small florets
¼ red pepper, chopped (use the other whole red pepper, if following the plan, and cut down the side, leaving the other ¾ intact)
1 scallion, sliced
3 or 4 mushrooms, sliced
2 or 3 tbsp red cabbage, shredded (cooked, if desired)
100g baby spinach
2 sheets of nori, finely chopped
Soy sauce, if available; if not, use either salt or some of the sultanas to flavour
Flaked almonds, toasted, to garnish

Directions
1. Steam the broccoli until just fork tender. Cool in an ice bath (or under cold running water). 
2. Fry the mushrooms with the spinach until cooked.
3. Mix all ingredients, and season to taste. Sprinkle with flaked almonds, if desired.

Onigirazu

This is the perfect lunchbox food. Try it if you don’t believe us!

Ingredients: 
1/2 cup sushi rice, cooked according to package directions
100g mushrooms, sliced
1 clove garlic
1 carrot, peeled and shredded
1 spring onion, sliced into matchsticks
1/2 avocado, sliced
1/4 red bell pepper (if following the plan, then take the slice from from the side of the pepper and leave the rest of the pepper uncut; we’ll be using it tomorrow), sliced thinly
4-5 sheets nori

Optional: 
2 tbsp vinegar (rice vinegar, preferably, but cider is also acceptable)
1 tbsp liquid sweetener (we used maple syrup)
Pinch salt
1/2 tsp freshly grated ginger
Sweet chilli sauce
Soy sauce

Method: 
1. If you wish to season the cooked rice, heat together the vinegar, sweetener, and salt. Stir through. 
2. To cook the mushrooms, fry over a low heat with the garlic until the liquid that they release has been evaporated. You can also add ginger and some soy sauce if desired. 
3. To assemble the onigirazu, lay a sheet of nori on a piece of cling film. Spread with a little sweet chilli sauce if desired (although they taste great without!)
4. Moisten hands to put a square of rice in the middle of the nori. Top the rice with some of the cooked mushrooms, carrot, spring onion, avocado, and bell pepper. 
5. To fold, bring opposite corners in to just past the centre point, keeping the parcel nice and tight. Repeat with the remaining two corners. 
6. Wrap the parcel in cling film and leave for a few minutes to allow the nori to soften. 
7. To serve the onigirazu, cut through the centre with a sharp knife, cutting through the cling film. 
8. Unwrap to serve, and enjoy.

Gochujang and Miso Tofu

The mix for this simple and tasty dish has a wonderful flavour balance, and the slight acidity and the sweetness create a beautiful scaffold for the Gochujang. This is cooked in the air fryer, but if you prefer you can use the oven–adjust temperatures and times accordingly.

Ingredients: 
1 block tofu (approx. 350g), cubed, but not pressed

For the tofu coating: 
2 tbsp cornflour (cornstarch)
2 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

For the glaze: 
1 tbsp yellow miso paste
1 tbsp Gochujang paste
1 tsp date paste
1 tsp rice vinegar
1 tsp lime juice
2 tbsp water

1. If using the air fryer, preheat the air fryer to 180C. Mix all of the ingredients for the tofu coating. Toss the tofu in it. Bake the tofu for 8-10 minutes until lightly crispy, shaking occasionally. 
2. Mix the glaze ingredients. When the tofu is cooked, toss in the glaze. Return to the air fryer at 80C for 3 minutes.
3. Serve with green onions and sesame seeds.

Herbed Tomato and Bread Salad

Heirloom tomatoes are wonderful for this simple yet flavoursome Herbed Tomato and Bread salad, but any tomatoes will do. The measurements are merely approximations; you don’t have to be exact. This serves 4 as a side or 2 as a main.

Ingredients
8 large heirloom tomatoes, cut into eighths 
10 cherry tomatoes, halved
7g fresh Greek basil, roughly chopped
3g fresh mint, finely chopped
4g fresh oregano, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tbsp olive oil (optional)
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
120g crusty suitable-for-vegan bread, cubed

Directions
1. Mix the tomatoes and herbs in a large bowl. 
2. In a small bowl, mix the garlic, oil (if using), salt and pepper. 
3. When ready to serve, add the bread to the tomatoes, pour over the garlic mixture, and toss. Season to taste.

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!

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.