Vegetable Tofu Tart

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This tart is is oil-free, full of vegetables, and with a delicate umami flavour. Feel free to use shop-bought suitable-for-vegan pizza dough for the crust if you want to speed up the cooking process.

Ingredients

For the crust

2 – 2 1/2 cups wholemeal flour (amount will vary according to the flour used; extra for dusting and rolling)
1 tbsp quick-acting dry yeast
1 tsp suitable-for-vegans sugar or maple syrup
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup warm water; more if necessary

For the caramelized red onion

1 red onion, sliced into thin rings
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp suitable-for-vegans sugar or maple syrup

For the vegetable filling

1 yellow pepper, finely diced
1 red pepper, finely diced
1 cup broccoli florets, chopped small
2 cups spinach, tightly packed

For the tofu filling

1 pack silken tofu (approx. 350g)
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic granules
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp yellow miso paste

Directions

To make the dough

1. Preheat oven to 170C.
2. Knead all of the ingredients together with 2 cups flour. If the mixture seems too moist, add more flour. You should have a smooth, but sticky, dough.
3. Set aside in a warm place to rise for 30 minutes.

To make the caramelised red onions

1. Heat a nonstick pan over a medium heat. Add onions and cook for 5-10 minutes until browned, stirring frequently.
2. Add the balsamic vinegar and sugar and cook, stirring, until onions are softened. Set aside.

To make the vegetable filling

1. In a large, nonstick frying pan over a medium-low heat, sauté the peppers and broccoli until the broccoli starts to tenderise (about 10 minutes).
2. Add the spinach and allow to wilt. Turn off the heat.

To make the tofu

Blend all ingredients in a blender until smooth.

To assemble

1. Lightly spray a 10-inch flan tin or cake tin with oil, or line with parchment.
2. On a surface dusted with flour, knock back the dough. You can knead it with a little more flour at this point to make it pliable. Roll into a circle large enough to cover the bottom and sides of the dish. Fill the dish with the dough and trim away any excess that overlaps the edges.
3. In a large bowl, mix the vegetable filling and tofu filling. Spoon into the dough-filled tin.
4. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and top with the caramelised onion. Return to the oven for 5 minutes more. Cut, serve, and enjoy.

Traditional Irish Potato Cakes

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These traditional Irish potato cakes are extremely easy to make: two ingredients, very little fuss, and extremely inexpensive. This quantity makes 6 potato cakes, and these are delicious served as a side with a bowl meal, dipped in a sauce, or spread with your favourite suitable-for-vegans topping.

Ingredients

300g leftover mashed potato, cooled
20-30g flour of your choice (for a gluten-free option, try buckwheat)

Directions

1. Preheat a frying pan over a medium heat.
2. Mix the flour into the mashed potato, adding enough to make the potato mix come together into a ball.
3. Dust the countertop with flour.
4. Roll out the potato mixture until it’s about 1cm thick. Cut with a cookie cutter or with an inverted mug or glass. Alternatively, take sections, roll into balls, and flatten out.
5. Heat about 1 tsp oil in the frying pan, or use spray oil. Fry the cakes 2-3 minutes each side, until golden.

Coconut Spinach and Chickpeas with Couscous

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A dinner that takes just 10 minutes to prepare is a sheer delight, especially when it is healthy, minimally processed, and beautifully fragrant with coconut and spices.

Ingredients:
200g couscous (the photograph shows giant wholewheat couscous)
200g baby spinach
50g kale, destemmed and torn into bite-sized pieces
150g baby button mushrooms
1 x 400g can chickpeas, drained
1 bell pepper, medium dice
1 can coconut milk (well shaken to combine)
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp ginger
pinch chilli flakes
salt and pepper
8 cherry tomatoes, quartered

Directions:
1. Cook the couscous according to the packet directions.
2. Meanwhile, in a large frying pan over a medium heat, wilt the spinach. You may have to add it in batches. A splash of hot water will help speed things up.
3. Add the kale, mushrooms, chickpeas, and peppers. Stir to combine.
4. Add the coconut milk and spices. Cook until the mushrooms shrink a little. Season to taste. Add the cherry tomatoes and warm through.

Speedy Turmeric Crumbled Tofu

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Crumbling tofu and cooking it with vegetables makes for a very quick meal and an economical way of using up leftover vegetable. This recipe takes under 10 minutes, and it serves 4. Any leftovers can be stored in a lidded container in the refrigerator for a couple of days. Feel free to substitute any of the vegetables according to your own leftovers and personal preference.

Ingredients

1 onion, smallish dice
1 each red and yellow pepper, medium dice
350g firm tofu, drained and crumbled
200g asparagus, chopped into 1-inch pieces
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp smoked paprika
2 tbsp soy sauce
Pinch chilli powder
100g baby spinach leaves

Method

1. Spray a frying pan with a little spray oil, or wipe around with a piece of kitchen towel dipped in oil. Sauté the onion and peppers over a medium low heat for about 2 minutes, until fragrant.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients, apart from the spinach, and cook until any water expelled by the tofu is evaporated (4-5 minutes).
3. Add the spinach and stir through until wilted.
4. Serve on toast, in a pitta bread, or with a large salad.

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Tortillas with a Green Lime Dressing

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Although this dish looks quite involved, it takes under 30 minutes to prepare, and is incredibly flavoursome. Serves 2.

Ingredients

For the Spice Mix

1 tsp cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp paprika
Pinch cayenne pepper

For the Tortillas

2 small sweet potatoes (about 350g), peeled and cut into smaller-than-bite-sized chunks
1/2 red onion, medium dice
1 bell pepper, medium dice
1 400g can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup + 1 tbsp vegetable stock
4 mini flour or corn tortillas

For the Dressing

1/2 cup soy or coconut yoghurt
2 tbsp lime juice
50g kale
Handful spinach
Soy (or other plant) milk, as needed, to thin to desired consistency

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 220C. Prepare the potatoes. Bring the sweet potatoes to a boil in a pot of cold salted water, and allow to boil for just 5 minutes, to soften. Meanwhile, line a baking tray with aluminium foil, parchment, or a silicone mat. Drain the potatoes, and toss with the tbsp vegetable stock and a few generous pinches of the spice mix. Place in a single layer on the baking tray, and roast in the oven for 10 minutes, turning once.
2. Meanwhile, in a nonstick frying pan over a medium-low heat, sauté the onions and peppers until starting to soften. Add the beans, the stock, and 1-2 tsp spice mix, to taste. Allow to cook gently until the liquid is evaporated and the beans are soft. Mash the beans slightly with the back of a fork or a potato masher.
3. Make the dressing by combining the yoghurt, lime juice, kale, spinach, 1-2 tsp of the spice mix in a blender. Blend until smooth, adding some plant milk 1 tbsp at a time to thin to desired consistency. You will have leftover dressing, but you can save it for salads.
4. Warm the tortillas according to package directions. Drizzle with the dressing, and top with the sweet potatoes and the bean mix.

Loaded Minestrone

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A real treat for those who love their vegetables, this soup is packed with all kinds of delicious textures and flavours. If you can’t find the packaged quick-cook minestrone mix, feel free to add your own mix of whole grains, pasta, and split peas or lentils, or just small pasta shapes, adjusting the cooking time accordingly. Serves 8.

Ingredients

1 large onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, sliced
2 carrots, medium dice
250g green beans, chopped
250g mushrooms, chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
500g passata
400g can chopped tomatoes
400g can cannellini beans, or any beans of choice
250g quick-cook minestrone mix
1.5 l vegetable stock
1tsp each dried oregano, dried basil, dried thyme, dried parsley
Fresh parsley to serve (optional)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Large handful of spinach per serving

Method

1. In a large, preheated soup pot over a medium-low heat, add the onion, celery and carrots, and sauté 3 minutes, adding a little water if the vegetables start to stick. Add the mushrooms and green beans, and sauté for 3 minutes more. Add the garlic for another 30 seconds.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients apart from the salt and pepper, fresh parsley, and spinach. Bring to the boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
3. To serve, place a large handful of spinach into the bottom of each bowl and top with the soup. Garnish with fresh parsley, lots of freshly ground black pepper, and a bit of salt if required.

Raspberry-Apple Overnight Oats

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Overnight oats make for a healthy and quick breakfast on busy mornings. This recipe serves 1.

Ingredients

1/2 cup rolled oats (not quick cook) + 1 tbsp (optional; keep separate)
1/2 cup plant milk (e.g. unsweetened soya)
1 apple
1/4 cup fresh or frozen raspberries
1 tbsp chopped nuts of choice (e.g. pecans or almonds)
Maple syrup, if desired

Method

1. Soak 1/2 cup oats in the plant milk overnight (or for at least 20 minutes).
2. Toast 1 tbsp oats in a sauté pan over a low heat until golden.
3. Just before you’re ready to assemble and eat the dish, dice the unpeeled, but washed, apple. Mix half of the apple into the oat mix.
4. You can create layers of oats, raspberries (reserving a few for topping), apples, repeating until all of the oat mixture is used up. Alternatively, you can place all ingredients into a bowl and mix. Top with the toasted oats, raspberries and nuts. If desired, pour some maple syrup over the top.

Pizza Tots

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This is a fun way to serve potatoes and is a perfect recipe for serving vegetables and beans to children who may be reluctant to eat them otherwise. The recipe makes 20 tots

Ingredients

1 x 400g can cannellini beans
1 cup fresh basil
1 large clove garlic, minced
4 medium potatoes, baked and cooled
1/3 cup olives, finely chopped
1/4 cup slow-roasted or sun-dried tomatoes, finely chopped
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 cup nuts of choice, finely ground (if allergic to nuts, use ground oats instead)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 220C, and line a baking tray with a silicon sheet or parchment paper.
2. In a food processor, pulse the cannellini beans and basil until smooth.
3. Halve the potatoes, and scoop the flesh from the skins. Mash the flesh with a fork and add to the basil and bean mixture with the rest of the ingredients.
4. Taking a heaped tablespoon of the mixture, press it firmly between your hands to bind it, and form it into tater tot shapes. Place on the silicon sheet or parchment paper. Repeat until all the mixture is used up.
5. Bake for 15 minutes, turn the tots, and bake for 10 minutes more.
6. Serve with some tomato sauce or suitable-for-vegan yellow mustard.

Pea and Mint Soup

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Fragrant and delicate, this pea and mint soup makes for a beautiful summer lunch. This recipe serves 6, and is inexpensive.

Ingredients

1 large onion
1 stalk celery
3 cloves garlic
1.2 l vegetable stock
1 large potato, washed and roughly diced
1 large parsnip, peeled and roughly chopped
500g frozen peas
15g fresh mint, divided into 10g for blending and 5g for garnish
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Method

1. Heat a pan over a medium-low heat, and sauté the onion for 3 minutes. Add the celery and sauté for 1 minute more. Add the garlic for 30 seconds.
2. Deglaze the pan with about 1/4 cup of the broth, and then add the rest.
3. Add the parsnip and potatoes, bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 15 minutes, or until the potato and parsnip are very soft.
4. Add the peas and simmer for a further 3 minutes.
5. Add the mint, and blend the soup, thinning with additional broth if required. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Caramelized Red Onion and Asparagus Tart

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This rich and decadent tart is ideal for a festive dinner. It serves 2 as a main dish or 4 as a substantial starter, and is very simple to make, relying on store-bought, ready-rolled suitable-for-vegan puff pastry.

Ingredients

2 red onions, sliced into thin rings
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tsp maple syrup
100g fresh asparagus, trimmed and chopped into 1-inch lengths
350g silken tofu
1/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes
1 tsp dried rosemary
1 tsp dried sage
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp garlic granules
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper to taste
1 pack ready-rolled suitable-for-vegans puff pastry

Method

1. To caramelize the onions, heat a nonstick pan over a medium heat. Add onions and cook for 5-10 minutes until browned, stirring frequently. Add the balsamic vinegar and sugar and cook, stirring, until onions are softened. Set aside to cool.
2. To make the tofu filling, place the tofu, yeast, herbs and spices, and mustard in a blender and blend until smooth. Season to taste.
3. Cut the sheet of puff pastry as desired, or leave whole. Spread with the tofu filling, leaving an inch uncovered around the edges.
4. Top with red onions and asparagus. Return to the refrigerator for 30 minutes to cool again.
5. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 180C. Bake on a parchment- or silicone-lined tray for 20 minutes until golden.