Category: Vegan

Apple, fennel and radish salad

This is a wonderfully light salad which makes a perfect side dish for your summer dining table. It’s very versatile and will go well with pretty much anything. I served it alongside grilled fish – Herb-Marinated Grilled Sea Bass, and the fresh flavours made for a lovely accompaniment.

More in salads: Watermelon, Tomato and Halloumi salad | Griddled courgette, pine nut and mozzarella salad | Bulgarian Shopska Salata (Salad)

Apple, fennel and radish salad

Apple, fennel and radish salad

Serves 6 | Prepare 15 mins | Cook 5 mins
Easy | Vegan | Gluten and Dairy Free

You’ll need:

  • 50g blanched hazelnuts;
  • 1 granny smith apple, cored;
  • 1 fennel bulb, trimmed;
  • 100g radishes, trimmed;
  • 2 tbsp olive oil;
  • 1.5 tbsp lemon juice;
  • 1 tbsp roughly chopped dill.

Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas mark 6. Roast the hazelnuts on a baking tray for 5 minutes or until golden and smelling nutty, leave to cool while you are preparing the rest of the ingredients, then roughly chop.

Finely slice the apple, fennel and radishes, the mix together in a bowl. Mix the oil and lemon juice, season and toss through the salad. Scatter with the dill and roasted nuts, and serve.

Nutritional information: 113kcals/1.6g protein/3.3g carbs/3.1g sugars/10.4g fat/1.2g saturated fat/1.6g fibre/trace salt.

Original recipe from Waitrose and Partners Magazine, issue August 2013, not available online.

Chickpeas and chard stew

This is an easy and quick summer stew, ideal for a mid-week supper. It goes perfectly with some crusty bread on the side too. The original recipe by Waitrose magazine has you making your own pesto but you can use ready made one for an even easier option.

More with chickpeas: Chickpea, pepper and tomato curry | Sweet potato, ‘Nduja and chickpea hash | Vegan chickpea & squash ‘meat’ balls with vegan mayo

Chickpeas and chard stew

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Serves 4 | Prep 10 mins | Cook 30 mins
Easy | Vegetarian | Gluten-Free

Tip: Use free-from pesto for a vegan version.

You’ll need:

  • 1 tbsp olive oil;
  • 1 onion, chopped;
  • 1 garlic clove, sliced;
  • 2 rosemary sprigs;
  • 2 x 400g cans chick peas;
  • 3 large tomatoes, tough core removed, and roughly chopped;
  • 2 tsp vinegar;
  • 200g pack swiss chard, woody stalks removed and leaves roughly shredded;
  • 4 tbsps pesto, to serve

Heat the oil in a large pan, add the onion and cook gently for 10 minutes, until soft and starting to turn golden. Add the garlic plus the rosemary sprigs; continue to cook for 3 minutes. Add the chickpeas and their liquid, the tomatoes and 300ml water; season and simmer briskly for 15 minutes. Break up some of the chick peas with a potato masher.

Just before serving, stir the chard through the stew, wilting for a couple of minutes. Stir in the remaining 2 tsp vinegar, then ladle into shallow bowls and top with a table spoon of pesto. Serve with crusty bread, if liked.

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Modified from this recipe by Waitrose Magazine, Issue August 2018, available online here.

2 posts have been published to the site Food Notes on Jul 30th in previous years:

== 2018 ==
* Lentil, squash, halloumi and bacon salad
* Yotam Ottolenghi’s Caramelised Onion Crostini

Chipotle black bean chilli with guacamole

This is a lovely recipe for a quick and easy vegetarian meal. I love the smoky flavour of chipotle chillies and they work perfectly in this black bean chilli.   I’ve made some subtle changes to the original recipe from Delicious magazine – using ground cumin instead of cumin seeds and not adding milk to the chilli (though if you don’t like heat then do add 2 tbsp milk when adding in the vinegar).

Serve with rice and/or tortilla wraps, sour cream and grated cheese on the side.

More with beans: Emilia’s Bulgarian Bean Soup | Speedy Pepper & Black Bean Chilli | Summer Pork, Fennel and Beans

Chipotle black bean chilli with guacamole

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Serves 4 | Prep 5 mins | Cook 35 mins
Easy | Vegan | Gluten and Dairy free

You’ll need:

  • 1 tsp ground paprika;
  • 1 tbsp ground cumin;
  • 1 tbsp olive oil;
  • 1 red onion, finely sliced;
  • 3 garlic cloves, crushed;
  • 2 tbsp chipotle paste or 1 dried chipotle chilli, left whole;
  • 2 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes;
  • 1 tsp red wine vinegar;
  • Pinch of sugar;
  • 2 x 400g cans black beans, drained and rinsed;
  • 1 lime, quartered, to serve;

For the guacamole

  • 2 ripe avocados;
  • Juice of 1 lime;
  • 1 red chilli, finely chopped;
  • 2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander, plus extra to garnish.

Toast the paprika and cumin seeds in a dry frying pan for 2-3 minutes until fragrant, then set aside.

Heat the oil in a large pan over a low-medium heat, then fry the onion for 7-8 minutes until soft. Stir in the garlic, then cook for 1 minute. Add the toasted spices, chipotle paste/whole chilli, tomatoes, vinegar and sugar. Season, bring to the boil, then simmer, covered, for 20 minutes.

For the guacamole, peel and stone the avocados, then mash with a fork and mix with the lime juice. Stir through the chilli and coriander.

Remove the lid and add the beans. Continue to simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes, then serve with the soured cream, guacamole and lime wedges.

Original recipe from Delicious Magazine, issue June 2013, available online here.

Granola with roasted cherries

I started making my own granola about a year ago and ever since I’ve really enjoyed experimenting and trying different recipes in search of the “perfect” granola. I’ve posted a few recipes on the blog already and they are all nice in their unique ways. Some have used egg whites for extra crispiness (and protein), different fats, nuts, fruits, and usually honey or agave for sweetness. Basically – the world of granola is free and you can use whatever nuts you have in your pantry, or whatever flavour combinations you like.

However, this particular granola is what I would serve if I had a little cafe somewhere. It’s the kind of breakfast item you’d see as a lighter option but it is so lush and so special. The baked cherries really make this a proper treat! This recipe doesn’t make as much granola as other ones you’d find on the blog so if you want to stock up for a couple of weeks double up on the granola ingredients. The roasted cherries  I stored in a jar in the fridge and enjoyed with my granola (and porridge) throughout the week. I’d recommend eating them within the week though as they won’t keep for long.

More in Granola & Granola toppers: Tropical Fruit and Nut Granola  | Jordan Bourke’s Spelt, help seed and lemon zest granola | Anna Jones’ Easy Clementine Compote

Granola with roasted cherries

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Makes about 6 servings | Prep 10 mins + cooling | Cook 30 mins
Easy | Vegan | Dairy and Gluten Free

You’ll need:

  • 125g porridge oats;
  • 50g whole almonds, roughly chopped;
  • 2 tbsp mixed seeds;
  • 2 tbsp coconut (or sunflower) oil;
  • 4 tbsp maple syrup;
  • 360g cherries, pitted and halved;
  • 1-2 tbsp demerara sugar;
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 180˚C, gas mark 4. Line a baking tray with parchment. In a bowl mix together the oats, almonds and seeds. Heat the coconut oil, maple syrup and 2 tbsp water in a small saucepan. Pour over the oat mixture and stir well. Spread out in an even layer on the prepared tray and bake for 20-25 minutes, stirring from time to time, until golden; set aside to cool.

Meanwhile, toss the cherries, sugar and vanilla with a pinch of salt. Tip onto a baking tray and roast for 25-30 minutes, until tender and some of the inky juices have leaked out. Cool slightly before serving with the granola and Greek yogurt, if liked.

Store the granola and baked cherries in airtight containers for up to a week.

Original recipe from Waitrose Food magazine, issue July 2016, available online here.

 

Smoked Tofu Dirty Burger

Vegan junk food is certainly growing and, I for one, couldn’t be happier. Yes, it’s still junk food and no it’s not healthier than ‘standard’ junk food, but it is damn tasty. You might know that I go by a flexiterian diet where I don’t eat meat every other week. A good burger is one of my biggest cravings during a non-meat eating week and I love trying alternatives. This Smoked Tofu Dirty burger definitely hits the spot! I usually make it vegetarian, i.e. I use normal mayo and I add cheese (though you can use a vegan cheese obviously as well). Delicious either way!

This is a BBC Good Food recipe which I’ve mildly adapted. The recipe calls for the burgers to be dipped twice in the coating, but I only dipped them once and made sure they were well covered – they came out really crispy so you don’t have to over do it. Also I’ve increased the sriracha in the mayo as it gives a lovely flavour, but obviously you can put less if you don’t like spicy food.

More with Tofu: Miso ramen with ginger tofu | The Vegan Kebab Experiment

Smoked Tofu Dirty Burger

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Serves 4 | Prep 35 mins | Cook 5 mins
A little effort | Vegan | Dairy-Free

You’ll need:

  • Vegetable oil, for frying;

For the burger

  • 1 small sweet potato (200g), peeled and cut into small chunks;
  • 1 tbsp olive oil;
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped;
  • 1 garlic clove, crushed;
  • 1 tsp cumin;
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika;
  • 1 tsp garlic salt;
  • 225g pack smoked tofu (I used The Tofoo Co.);
  • 50g roasted cashews;

For the coating

  • 1 tsp English mustard;
  • 150ml soy milk;
  • 75g plain flour
    50g panko breadcrumbs;
  • 1 tsp garlic salt;
  • ½ tsp cayenne pepper;
  • 1 tbsp icing sugar;
  • 1 tsp baking powder

For the slaw

  • ¼ small red cabbage, finely shredded;
  • 1 carrot, grated;
  • 2 tbsp chopped coriander;
  • ½ lime, juiced;
  • 2 tsp sesame seeds.

To serve
vegan mayonnaise mixed with 1 tbsp Sriracha;
vegan burger buns, halved and toasted;
vegan cheese, pickles and whatever you love topping your burgers with.

For the burgers, put the sweet potato in a microwaveable bowl, cover with cling film and cook on high for 3 mins until soft. Heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan and fry the onion with a big pinch of salt until soft, around 5 mins. Add the garlic and spices and cook for 2 mins more, then set aside. Blitz the tofu with the cashews in a blender, then tip in the sweet potato and fried onions. Season and blitz again until combined. Shape into four burger patties and set aside in the fridge on a lined baking tray while you make the slaw.

Make the slaw by combining the ingredients in a bowl, then set aside until needed. When you’re ready to fry the patties, mix the mustard with the soy milk in one bowl, then mix the remaining coating ingredients in another bowl. In turn, take each patty and dip into the flour mixture, then into the soy milk mixture until well coated.

Pour the vegetable oil into a large frying pan over a medium-high heat – you want the oil to come about 2cm up the side of the pan. Once hot, use a spatula to carefully add the patties and gently fry for 1 min on each side until crispy, then leave to drain on kitchen paper. Serve the burgers in burger buns, topped with the slaw and drizzled with the mayo. Add cheese, pickles and whatever else you love in a burger.

Original recipe by BBCGoodFood magazine, issue April 2018, available online here.