Portobello Unfried Black Bean Wraps with Avocado Aïoli

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Though this looks like an involved recipe, it takes only about 15 minutes to put together, and it makes a hearty and filling lunch.

FOR THE MUSHROOMS
6 large Portobello mushrooms, sliced
1 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp garlic powder
Pinch black pepper

  1. Add the mushrooms to a preheated frying pan with the rest of the ingredients.
  2. Sauté until the liquid that they release has been evaporated and they are cooked through.

FOR THE AVOCADO AÏOLI
2 large Hass avocados
2 cloves garlic (roasted or lightly sweated if you don’t want the raw garlic flavour)
1 tbsp lime juice
1/2 cup soy milk
1/2 tsp sea salt
Pinch cayenne pepper

Directions:
1. Add all the ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth.
2. Transfer to a squeeze bottle (I used an clean and dry empty vegan mustard bottle) to serve.

FOR THE UNFRIED BLACK BEANS
1 onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 jalapeño pepper, minced
1 red pepper, roasted (I used one from a jar)
1 can black beans, drained and mashed
1/4 cup broth or water
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground chilli pepper
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp tomato purée
1 tbsp lime juice

  1. Preheat a sauté pan over a medium low heat, and sauté the onion until it starts to take on some colour. Add the garlic and and stir for 30 seconds.
  2. Stir in the jalapeño and red pepper, black beans, broth, herbs and spices, salt, tomato purée, and lime. Cook the mixture until all of the liquid is absorbed.

TO ASSEMBLE
4 wholegrain suitable-for-vegan wraps
Salsa
Spinach

  1. Layer spinach, the unfried beans, and the mushrooms on a wrap. Top with salsa and avocado aïoli to serve

Bulgur Wheat Pilau with Spicy Mushrooms

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Inspired by East African flavours, this Bulgur Wheat Pilau with Spicy Mushrooms is full of warming spices, and the pilau, if cooled and stored properly, will make for a great packed lunch. Serves 4-6.

For the Mushrooms:

Ingredients:
250g Portabello mushrooms, sliced
200ml apple juice
50 ml soy sauce
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tbsp tomato purée
1 tsp rice vinegar
1/2 inch ginger, grated
Pinch ground cardamom
Pinch ground fenugreek
2 pinches chilli flakes
Pinch ground cloves

Directions:
1. Place the mushrooms in a large saucepan. Mix the rest of the ingredients together and pour over the mushrooms.
2. Simmer, uncovered, until the sauce is reduced, 30 mins or so. Remove the mushrooms from the cooking sauce with a tongs or spider ladle and serve with the pilaf.

For the Pilaf:
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp cardamom
1/4 tsp allspice
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/8 tsp chilli powder
1/8 tsp black pepper
1 onion, finely chopped
300ml vegetable broth
2 carrots, peeled and in very small dice
100g sweetcorn
200g frozen peas
250g bulgur wheat
Vegetable broth, according to package directions

Directions:
1. Mix the spices and set aside.
2. In a large saucepan over a medium-low heat, sauté the onions until lightly caramelised. Add the carrots, sweetcorn, and peas, and pour over the broth. Simmer the vegetables for 4 minutes, just to soften.
3. Cook the bulgur wheat according to package directions, adding the spice mix at the beginning of the process. Stir in the vegetables to warm through, and serve.

Tofu Katsu Curry

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A warming, spicy, flavoursome dish, this is surprisingly easy to put together. Serve with sushi rice and shredded carrots and cabbage for a filling and nourishing meal. The tofu is cooked in an air fryer, but you can bake or pan fry if you prefer.

Ingredients:

For the tofu:
400g extra firm tofu, drained and pressed
Liquid from 1 can chickpeas
1/4 cup flour
2 cups suitable-for-vegans panko crumbs

For the sauce:
1 onion, finely chopped
1/2 inch piece ginger, grated
3 cloves garlic
500ml vegetable broth
1 tbsp curry powder
1 tsp turmeric
2 tbsp tomato purée
2 tsp rice vinegar
1-2 tbsp tamari or soy sauce, to taste
2 tbsp maple syrup
1 tbsp white or yellow miso
1 heaped tbsp cornflour

Directions:


1. Slice the tofu into 1/4 inch slices. Dip in flour and shake off excess. Add to the chickpea liquid and then coat in breadcrumbs. Fry in a preheated air fryer at 200C for 15 minutes, turning once.
2. Meanwhile, make the sauce. Lightly sauté the onions over a medium-low heat, add the garlic and ginger and stir briefly. Mix in the broth, curry powder, turmeric, tomato purée, vinegar, tamari, maple syrup and miso. Bring to a simmer. Mix the cornflour with a little water to a smooth paste. Add to the sauce and cook until thickened.
3. Serve the tofu and sauce with cooked sushi rice, shredded carrots, and cabbage.

Twice-Baked Tempeh Potatoes with Red Pepper Sesame Sauce

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These potatoes are a fusion of textures from the creamy potato filling to the crispy skins. This recipe serves 2 hungry people as a main, or 4-8 as a side.

Ingredients:
4 large baking potatoes
2 tbsp suitable-for-vegans hummus
3 tbsp soy milk
1/2 tsp garlic powder
2 tbsp nutritional yeast
150g ready-to-eat (steamed and marinated) tempeh, finely diced
2 green onions, finely diced
2 tbsp fresh, minced parsley
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the Red Pepper Sauce:
1 red pepper, roughy chopped
1 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp nutritional yeast
1 heaped tsp suitable-for-vegans Dijon mustard
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp smoked paprika

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 190C. Prick the potatoes all over with a fork, and bake for 60 minutes or until tender.
2. Meanwhile, make the sauce by blending all ingredients.
3. Allow to cool, halve, and scoop out the filling. Mash with the hummus, soy milk, garlic powder, nutritional yeast. Stir through the green onions, tempeh, and parsley. Season, and return the filling to the shells. Spoon about a tsp sauce over each potato half, and bake in the oven for 15 more minutes.

Italian-Inspired Chickpea Salad

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An incredibly bold and lively Italian-Inspired Chickpea Salad from Frances McCormack, this takes just minutes to make andis served with a Wholegrain Mustard and Balsamic Dressing. Packed with flavour, this makes a great sandwich spread or topping for a bed of greens. Serves 1 as a large salad, or 2 as a side or sandwich spread.

Ingredients:
For the salad
1 can chickpeas, drained and minced
1 roasted red pepper (I used one from a jar), finely diced
3 sundried tomatoes, finely chopped
8 black olives, finely chopped
Large bunch basil, chiffonaded

For the dressing
1 tbsp suitable-for-vegans wholegrain mustard
1 tsp maple syrup
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
1. Mash the chickpeas. Mix with all of the salad ingredients.
2. Whisk the dressing ingredients together. Season to taste.
3. Toss the salad with the dressing, a little at a time, tasting as you go (I used all of the dressing, but I like bold flavours).

Spinach Pesto Pasta

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A budget, quick and easy dinner that serves 4.

Ingredients:
500g wholewheat fusilli
1 can artichoke hearts, drained
1 can butterbeans, drained
1/2 cup unsweetened soy milk
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp soy sauce
5 cloves garlic
2 large handfuls spinach
Very large bunch basil
1/2 cup nutritional yeast
2 tbsp yellow miso
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, finely chopped

Directions:
1. Cook the pasta according to package directions.
2. Meanwhile, in a blender, add half the artichoke hearts, the butterbeans, soy milk, lemon juice, soy sauce, garlic, spinach, basil, nutritional yeast and miso. Blend until smooth.
3. Drain the pasta, reserving about a quarter cup of the cooking water. Return to the pan with the pesto, the remaining artichoke hearts, and the tempeh.

Macaroni and Bell Pepper Sauce

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This is a deliciously umami yet sweet dish that’s got all of the flavour of comfort food with minimally processed ingredients and no oil! It’s incredibly quick to make the sauce–just blend and heat. Serves 2.

Ingredients
250g broccoli, steamed
200g macaroni, cooked according to package directions
1 red bell pepper
1 yellow pepper
3 large cloves garlic
1 tbsp miso paste
1/2 cup nutritional yeast
2 tbsp pine nuts
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tbsp cornflour or corn starch
1/4 cup water

Directions
1. Blend all of the ingredients apart from the broccoli and macaroni.
2. Add the blended sauce to the cooked pasta and broccoli. Heat gently until the sauce has thickened.
3. Serve.

Chestnut-Stuffed Squash

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This is a surprisingly easy dish, perfect for a festive meal. It serves 2-4, depending on the size of the squash.

Ingredients:
2 squash of choice (I used a delicata squash and a patty pan squash)
1 red onion, finely chopped
100g mushrooms, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 slices wholewheat bread, in crumbs
1/2 tsp dried rosemary, crumbled
1/2 tsp dried thyme, crumbled
1/2 tsp dried sage, crumbled
150g chestnut purée
2 tbsp chopped walnuts
2 tbsp dried cranberries
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup suitable-for-vegans cranberry sauce

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 200C. Cut the squash in half and scoop out the seeds and stringy insides. Place cut-side down on the baking tray, and roast 20-40 minutes (depending on thickness of the squash) until tender. Turn the squash over and season the insides liberally.
2. Sauté the onion and mushrooms until tender.
3. In a medium bowl, mix the garlic, breadcrumbs, herbs, chestnut, walnuts, and cranberries. Fill the squash with the stuffing, and return to the oven 20 minutes.
4. Serve topped with cranberry sauce.

Tofu Crumble with Curried Rice: Budget Recipe

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This recipe costs €1.16 per portion and takes only as long to prepare as it takes the rice to cook. Every brand and type of rice is different, so cook according to package directions. There are three parts to this recipe: boiling the greens, cooking the rice, and making the scramble. Serves 2.

Ingredients:

For the greens:
100g frozen kale
125g (1/4 head) cabbage, chopped small

For the curried rice:
100g brown rice
Water as according to package directions
1 tsp curry powder

For the tofu:
250g tofu
½ onion, chopped
½ yellow pepper, diced
100g mushrooms, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ tsp turmeric
½ tsp smoked paprika
1 tbsp soy sauce

Directions:

For the greens:
1. Bring a pot of salted water to the boil.
2. Add the cabbage and kale and cook for 5 minutes.

For the rice:
1. Cook the rice according to package directions, adding the curry powder to the water.
2. When the rice is cooked, stir all but a handful of the greens through and keep warm.

For the tofu:
1. Drain the tofu, wrap in a kitchen towel, and place under a plate with some cans or other weights on top to press for about 20 minutes. Alternatively, squeeze as much water from the tofu as possible.
2. Crumble the tofu into small pieces between your finger and thumb, and add to a bowl with the turmeric, paprika, soy sauce, and garlic.
3. Heat a nonstick pan over a medium low heat. Add the onions, peppers, and mushrooms and cook until the mushrooms start to release their juices. Add the tofu mixture and the reserved handful of greens, and cook until warmed through. Season to taste.

Serve the tofu with the green rice.

Coconut-Molasses Chickpeas and Cauliflower

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The flavour profile of this dish is inspired by Indonesian cuisine, where molasses or brown sugar are frequently used in ketjap manis. Molasses is quite high in iron and other minerals, which makes it a much healthier choice than many other sweeteners.

Ingredients

1 cup coconut milk
1 tsp red chilli paste
1 tbsp garlic-ginger paste
1 tbsp molasses
1 tsp turmeric
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp lime pickle
2 cups cauliflower, in small florets (mine were pre-roasted, but the recipe below is a quicker version)
1 head pak choy, chopped
1 can chickpeas
4 spring onions, chopped

Directions

  1. In a medium saucepan over a low heat, whisk together the coconut milk, red chilli paste, garlic-ginger paste, molasses, turmeric, soy sauce, and lime pickle.
  2. Add the cauliflower, chickpeas, and the hard ends of the pak choy. Allow to simmer over a low heat for 7 minutes.
  3. Add the green leafy parts of the pak choy and the spring onions. Cover and simmer again for another 3 minutes, or until the cauliflower is the desired tenderness.
  4. Serve.