Four simple vegan recipes that don’t use any meat alternatives
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- 17 Jan 2023
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Veganuary is a chance to bring a wider variety of veg into your diet, says Bob Andrew. Here’s how
More than 620,000 people took part in Veganuary in 2022, but there are still so many foods, drinks and household products that people don’t realise are (or aren’t) vegan.
“The rush to fill the shelves with new vegan products is in danger of repeating the worst aspects of the wider convenience food market, often with a lack of transparency over ingredients and potentially higher air miles,” says Bob Andrew, chef at organic veg box company Riverford.
“It’s all about balance. Use it as a chance to bring a wider variety of veg into your diet and try cooking with more legumes, pulses and nuts to provide protein.”
Here’s Andrew’s top four simple cooking tips to help you through Veganuary 2023.
Get protein from plants
For those new to Veganuary, there is a concern that they will lose all the protein in their diet, but this is easily replaced with legumes, pulses, nuts and seeds. Chickpeas, lentils, and beans are an easy source of adding goodness, bulk and texture to stews, soups, bakes and salads.
Eat the rainbow
Embrace beans and brassicas, revel in the rainbow of root veg, and learn to love greens. A veg box is a great way to bring a variety to your door and open up new possibilities.
Add some texture
Mushrooms are the obvious option for retaining a meat-like texture to plant-based dishes. A hot wok or fierce oven can produce a nice golden colour that adds to their natural depth of flavour.
You’re still good for pud!
Fruit-based desserts are the obvious go to, but there are plenty of plant-based hacks. Aquafaba (chickpea water) is a great vegan egg replacement, and did you know that a ripe banana also works just as well whilst baking? And soaked and blended cashew nuts are a perfect cream substitute.
Vegan sausage rolls
A wholesome and satisfying filling, with plenty of veg and protein. We blanch and squeeze the spinach so that it doesn’t add water to the mix. You should be able to mould the filling easily, without it being too loose or too stiff; if needed, you can use oats to adjust the consistency. Feel free to play around with adding different nuts, herbs or dried fruit to make the filling your own, as long as you keep the basic ratios roughly the same.
Serves: 4
Prep time: 20 mins | Cook time: 25 mins
Cook’s notes: You can make the filling a day in advance if you like. It needs to be properly chilled before use, as a hot mix would soften the pastry and make it difficult to shape and cut.
Ingredients:
1 red onion, finely chopped
2 celery stalks, finely diced
1 large carrot, finely diced
200g mushrooms, finely chopped or grated
150g spinach
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
2 tbsp soy or tamari sauce
1 tbsp miso paste
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp freshly chopped thyme leaves
50g hazelnuts, toasted and roughly chopped
Tin of cooked dark or puy lentils – about 250g once drained
Handful of porridge oats, if needed
300g vegan puff pastry, rolled into a large rectangle
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Method:
1. Warm 1 tablespoon of oil in a saucepan. Add the onion, celery, carrot, mushrooms and a pinch of salt. Fry gently for 15 minutes, until they’re soft and most of the moisture has been driven away.
2. Meanwhile, boil a kettle and thoroughly wash the spinach. Place it in a heatproof bowl and pour over enough boiling water to cover. Leave it for a minute or so until it has just wilted. Drain and cover in cold water to stop the cooking process. Drain the spinach again and the use your hands to squeeze out as much water as you can. Roughly chop.
3. Add the garlic, soy, miso, vinegar and thyme to the pan of veg and let them cook out for a couple of minutes. Remove from the heat and add the hazelnuts, drained lentils and chopped spinach. Mix firmly to break up the lentils. Taste and tweak the seasoning with a little more salt if you think it needs it. If the mix seems a bit too wet, you can add some oats to firm it up. Leave it to cool completely. Read More…
