Giant Couscous Salad with Dijon-Balsamic Vinaigrette

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The finely chopped vegetables in this salad mean that the flavours of each meld better. The addition of dried fruit creates an interesting contrast with the peppery rocket. This serves 2 as a lunch or 4 as a side.

Ingredients

For the Salad

150g giant couscous, cooked according to package directions and allowed to cool*
100g bell peppers, finely chopped
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
50g sugarsnap peas, finely sliced
6 grape tomatoes, quartered
4 baby beetroot, cooked, and finely diced
30g dried apricots, finely chopped
1 tbsp dried cranberries
2 tbsp walnuts, toasted and chopped

For the Dressing
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp suitable-for-vegans Dijon mustard
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp water

To serve

Rocket
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1. Mix all salad ingredients together.
2. Mix all dressing ingredients together.
3. Serve the salad on a bed of rocket with some sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Pour over the dressing to taste.

*If you can’t find giant couscous, use regular.

Spinach and Basil Orzo Stew

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A 20-minute easy meal with a side of sweet roasted tomatoes; you’ll be glad you made this when you see how little washing-up there is. It serves 2-3.

Ingredients

250g cherry tomatoes on the vine
1 yellow pepper, medium dice
2 tsp Italian herbs
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 onion, fine dice
3 cloves garlic, minced
250g orzo
3 cups vegetable stock
1 x 400g can tomatoes
100g baby spinach
½ tsp suitable-for-vegans sugar
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
15 g basil leaves, torn

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 220C. Line a baking tray with a silicone sheet. Toss 125g of the tomatoes and yellow pepper in 1 tbsp vegetable broth, and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and 1 tsp of Italian herbs. Transfer to the oven and roast for 15 minutes. Remove the yellow peppers after 15 minutes, and roast the tomatoes for 5 minutes more.
2. In a large saucepan, sauté the onion over a medium-low heat for 2 minutes until just softened. Add the garlic for 30 seconds more, and deglaze the pot with about 1/4 cup of the vegetable broth. Add the orzo, the rest of the broth, the remaining de-vined tomatoes, the canned tomatoes, the sugar, and the balsamic vinegar, and simmer 8-12 minutes, stirring frequently, until cooked.
3. Stir in the spinach, yellow pepper, and basil until the spinach is wilted. Serve with the roasted tomatoes.

Cannellini Bean Sea Cakes with Parsley Sauce

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Cannellini beans are so extremely versatile. They blend down to make sauces and dips; they make great binders in burgers; they taste good sprinkled over salads or cooked in a sauce. But they’re particularly good made into sea cakes, mixed with onion and sea vegetables, coated in breadcrumbs, and baked in the oven for a filling and healthy main dish. Makes 4 cakes.

Ingredients

For the sea cakes

2 cups cooked cannellini beans (another white bean will do)
1 tsp seaweed powder or flakes; I prefer kombu
1/2 onion, finely chopped
salt and pepper to taste
1 tbsp cornflour mixed with 1/4 cup water
75g wholegrain breadcrumbs

For the parsley sauce

Ingredients
2 cups unsweetened soya (or other plant) milk
1 tbsp cornflour
1 tbsp onion granules
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
pinch white pepper
1 bunch fresh parsley, finely minced

Method

1. Preheat oven to 200C.
2. Make the sea cakes. Mash the beans in a large bowl with the back of a fork.Stir in seaweed, onion, and salt and pepper. Form the beans into four patties, dip in the cornflour mix, and coat in breadcrumbs.Bake on a silicone mat on a baking tray for 20 minutes, turning once.
3. Meanwhile, make the parsley sauce. Mix 1/4 of the soya milk with the cornflour. Set aside. Place the remaining soya milk into a saucepan and heat gently. Whisk in the onion granules, garlic powder, salt and pepper, and parsley. When the milk comes to a simmer, add the cornflour mix and stir continuously to thicken.
4. Serve the sea cakes with the parsley sauce, steamed greens, and mashed, boiled, or steamed potatoes.

Banana-Blueberry-Walnut Muffins

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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.

Sweet Potato Banana Bliss

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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

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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.

Miso-Carrot Dipping Sauce

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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

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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.

Smoky Black Bean Soup

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The smoky flavours of this soup pair perfectly with the black beans and sweetcorn in the recipe, and the miso adds umami notes that bring it all together. This is a budget recipe that serves 4, and it takes under 15 minutes to make

Ingredients

1 red onion, chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
1l vegetable broth
2 x 200g cans or 4 cups cooked black beans, drained and rinsed
3 tsp smoked paprika, or 2 tsp smoked paprika and 1/2 tsp liquid smoke
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp cumin
2 tbsp tomato purée
pinch cayenne pepper
200g frozen sweetcorn
1 tbsp yellow miso

Optional toppings: more sweetcorn, thawed; bell pepper; avocado; squeeze lime juice, etc.

Method

1. Sauté the onion over a medium heat for 3 minutes, until softened and lightly browned. Add the garlic for another 30 seconds.
2. Deglaze the pan with 1/4 cup of the vegetable broth. Add the rest of the broth, the beans, the paprika (and liquid smoke, if using), coriander, cumin, tomato purée, cayenne pepper.
3. Bring to the boil, cover with a lid, lower the heat, and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the sweetcorn and continue for two minutes more.
4. If desired, transfer half of the soup to a blender with the miso and blend to smooth. Transfer back to the rest of the soup and reheat. Do not allow to boil. If not blending, remove from the heat, add the miso and mix well.
5. Serve, if desired, with a squeeze of lime, chopped bell pepper, sweetcorn, and avocado.

Leek, Potato, and Cabbage Soup

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A budget recipe that serves 6. This soup is filling, hearty, and very simple to make.

Ingredients

2 leeks, halved lengthways, sliced, and then washed
1/2 green cabbage, shredded
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 medium potatoes, chopped
1.5 litres vegetable broth
Sprig or 1 tsp each thyme and rosemary
2 bay leaves
Salt and white pepper

Method

1. In a large soup pan over a medium-low heat, sauté the leeks and cabbage for about 7 minutes until softened. Add a splash of water or broth to prevent sticking, if necessary.
2. Add the garlic and sauté for another 30 seconds.
3. Add the potatoes, broth, and herbs. To prevent the herbs getting lost in the pot, you can put them in tea infuser hooked onto the side of the pot, but if you don’t have one, you can retrieve them with a spoon when the soup is cooked.
4. Bring to the boil, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes, or until potatoes are cooked. At this point, if you want a thicker soup, you can transfer up to half of the mixture to the blender and blend until smooth.
5. Season to taste, and serve.