Printable version

A nice summery dish using fresh herbs from the garden (you can of course buy them too!)

Printable version

Nice served with a big green salad.

Printable version

Printable version

Potato Layer Thing

Ingredients:

6 or 7 medium sized potatoes

1 large can of baked beans in tomato sauce (approx 800g)

1 large onion, thinly sliced

2 or 3 sliced tomatoes

1 tablespoon of margarine for dotting over the top

1 tablespoon of sesame seeds for sprinkling on the top

other optional layers:

1 or 2 cups of left-over rice mixed with some soya milk and herbs

sliced mushrooms mixed with a little veg. oil and 2 cloves of crushed garlic

1 can of sweetcorn

1 can of spinach

Part-boil the potatoes for 5 or 6 minutes until starting to soften. Thinly slice them. In a large casserole or lasagne dish place a layer of potatoes then a layer of beans, then onion and repeat until all used up. That is the basic dish but you can add any other layers you like, such as the garlic mushrooms, sweetcorn, spinach or rice ones above, making the last layer potatoes. Spread the sliced tomatoes over the top, dot with the marg. and sprinkle on the sesame seeds. Bake for about an hour or until the potatoes are soft at 190C/380F.

Bradies

Ingredients:

Approx 400g/15oz of frozen vegan puff pastry, defrosted

a little sunflower oil

1 large onion, chopped

1 large potato, cut into small cubes

about 1 and a half cups of frozen vege-mince (dried soya mince would do fine if re-hydrated first in water or stock)

1 tablespoon of soy sauce 

Prepare the pastry by rolling out (to about 5mm thick) and cutting into 4 rectangles. In a pan fry the onion, potato and mince together for a few minutes and then add the soy sauce and mix well. Place the filling on one half of the pastry rectangles and then fold over and seal the edges by folding them over all the way round with a little water. Place on a baking tray and bake at 200C/400F for 20-30 minutes or until pastry is cooked.

Mince and dumplings

Ingredients for mince:

a little sunflower oil

1 onion, chopped

2 or 3 carrots, diced

Approx 2 cups of frozen vegemince or re-hydrated dried soya mince

About 1 cup of water or stock

Dash of soy sauce

1 fresh bayleaf or half a teaspoon of dried bayleaf

salt and pepper to taste

For the dumplings:

100g/4oz self raising flour

50g./2oz hard vegan margarine or vegetable suet, broken into small pieces

1 teaspoon of dried herbs (optional)

a little salt

water to mix to a dough (about a quarter cup)

Fry the onion and carrot in the oil for a few minutes. Add the mince, water, seasoning and soy sauce. Make small tears in the bay leaf and place in the pan with the other ingredients (alternatively add dried bay). Bring to the boil and turn down to simmer. For the dumplings: rub the fat into the flour, add herbs if using and salt. Gradually add water and mix until you have a workable dough. Form into about 10 small balls and place in the simmering pan of mince for about 20 minutes until cooked. If the pan of mince is quite shallow you may need to turn the dumplings halfway through cooking. If you used a fresh bayleaf you should remove it before serving (though I have sometimes forgotten and had no complaints!!).

Spicy, Fruity Pasty

Ingredients:

Approx 400g/15oz of frozen vegan puff pastry, defrosted (ready rolled is extra easy!!)

Soya milk for glazing and sealing (a few tablespoons)

a little sunflower oil

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 onion, finely chopped

1 teaspoon of curry powder

2 medium sized potatoes, cubed quite small

3 medium carrots, cubed the same

about 10 dried apricots, chopped

1 apple, peeled then finely chopped (this is a good recipe for using up slightly old apples)

1/4 cup of white wine or stock

seasalt to taste

Prepare the pastry by rolling out (to about 5mm thick) if needed and cutting into 4 or 8 just off square rectangles. In a frying pan fry the onion and garlic in the oil then add the curry powder. Add the fruit and vegetables and pour over the wine or stock. Cook for a few minutes until everything is well combined and starting to soften, then divide between the pastry squares, placing the filling in the middle. Seal up the edges using some soy milk for stickiness (like making a little parcel and pinching the edges together). Glaze with a little soya milk and bake at 200C/400F for 20-30 minutes or until pastry is cooked.

Stuffed Acorn Squash

Ingredients:

2 medium acorn squashes

2 tablespoons of olive oil

a little sunflower oil

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 leek, finely chopped

a thumb sized piece of ginger, finely chopped or grated

a handful of flaked almonds

1 glass of white wine (optional)

(roughly) a cup of rice

seasalt to taste

2 or 3 cups of water for cooking as needed

Cut the squashes in half, remove the seeds and rub them with the olive oil. Place on a baking tray and bake in the oven at 180C/360F for about half an hour. Meanwhile lightly fry the garlic, leek and ginger in the sunflower oil for a few minutes and then add the wine, almonds and salt. Add the rice with enough water to cover well and bring to the boil. Turn down and simmer until the rice is cooked, stirring occasionally and adding more water if needed. Once cooked pile the rice mixture onto the squash halves and bake for a further 20-30 minutes or until the squashes are tender. Nice with gravy and roast potatoes.

Sweet Potatoes in a Coconut and Peanut Sauce

Ingredients:

1 onion, finely chopped

2 cloves of garlic, crushed

a little sunflower oil

1 teaspoon of curry powder

2 tablespoons of peanut butter

1 tin of coconut milk

5 or 6 medium sized sweet potatoes, cut into bite size chunks

seasalt to taste

Fry the onion and garlic in the oil for a few minutes. Add the curry spices and stir well. Add the peanut butter, stirring over a medium heat until in begins to melt and then pour in your coconut milk and stir until well blended. Put the sweet potatoes and salt in the pan and bring to the boil and then turn down to simmer until they are softened (10 minutes +). Nice with rice and salad.

Singapore Vegan Noodles

Ingredients:

Dried rice noodles (200g pack for a family of 4)

2 tablespoons of sunflower oil

3 cloves of garlic, crushed

1 onion cut into inch/2cm long thin strips

1 teaspoon of chilli powder

1 red pepper cut into same strips

1 yellow pepper cut in the same way

1 courgette/zucchini cut into strips

smoked tofu, cut into similar sized pieces

2 tablespoons of soy sauce

2 tablespoons of sesame oil

Cook the rice noodles according to the instructions on the packet - often this is just pouring boiling water over them and leaving them for a while. Cook the onions and garlic in the sunflower oil for a few minutes and then add the chilli and stir in well. Add your vegetables and soy sauce and cook for a few moments until slightly softened and then add the tofu and stir fry for another 10 minutes or so before adding the rice noodles and combining well (you may want to cut them up if they are very long). At the last minute sprinkle the sesame oil over the dish and serve at once. This goes very well with a fresh salad of Chinese cabbage and herbs.

Sweet Butternut Casserole

A warming, autumnal dish, nice served with garlic bread and a baked potato and perhaps some vegan sausages.

Ingredients:

2 leeks, sliced into thin round slices

A little olive oil

Half a butternut squash (about 3 cups) cut into chunks

2 sweet potatoes cut into chunks

2 tins chopped tomatoes (about 3 cups/800g in all)

half a cup of water or vegetable stock

a handful of fresh mint roughly chopped or 3 teaspoons of dried mint

seasalt to taste

Fry the leeks in the oil for a few moments then add the squash and potato and stir until coated with the oil. Add the tomatoes, water/stock, salt and mint and bring to the boil. Simmer gently for about 20 minutes until cooked.

Ingredients:

600g/21 oz. firm tofu

1 clove of garlic, crushed

quarter cup of barbeque sauce (or favourite marinade)

2 tablespoons of Indonesian sweet soy sauce

Cut the tofu into twelve pieces about the thickness and size of a burger. Place the tofu, garlic and sauces in a dish and marinate over night or for two days. Either fry, barbecue or bake (at 200C/400F) until browned. Serve in a bun with fried onions, egg-free mayonnaise, salad and sauces or mustard.

Ingredients:

To make 4 medium to large pasties:

for the pastry:

10 oz/275g/2 cups plain flour (I use a mixture of 3 oz white & 7 oz wholewheat/wholemeal)

5 oz/130g/ 3/4 cup hard margarine (I grate it - it's easier to rub in!)

pinch salt

water to mix

for the filling:

1 tablespoon oil or margarine

1 onion, roughly chopped

1 small Swede chopped (about 1/2inch dice)

4 medium/large carrots chopped as above

1 medium/large potato chopped as above

1 tsp yeast extract

black pepper to taste

Pastry: Mix flours and salt together. Rub in grated marg until the mixture looks like fine breadcrumbs. Add cold water a tablespoon at a time until the mixture holds together and a firm dough is formed. Knead lightly. Put in fridge

Filling: Melt the margarine or heat the oil in a large saucepan. Add the vegetables and stir well. Put lid on saucepan and cook, on a low heat for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally until vegetables are nearly cooked. Stir in yeast extract and add black pepper, and allow the mixture to cool. Remove pastry from fridge and cut into four equal pieces. Roll out each piece roughly into a circle of about 7 inch (this is very roughly - I never actually measure it!). Place 1/4 of the veg mix along the centre of each circle and wet edges, bring them together above the veg mix and seal and 'crimp'. Brush with soya milk and cook (in a preheated oven!) at 180C/375F on the middle shelf for about 40-45 minutes.

These are good hot or cold, and I sometimes add herbs to the mixture (fresh or dried whatever I have to hand) just for a change! Hope you enjoy them as much as my children have over the years.

Ingredients:

1 - 2 Tablespoons of olive oil

1 onion, chopped

3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped or crushed

1 apple, peeled and finely chopped

1 green pepper, finely chopped

2 - 3 teaspoons of curry powder

1-2 tins of cooked chick peas (or soak dried ones overnight and cook)

1 can of tomatoes

handful of raisins (optional)

2 tablespoons of desiccated coconut (optional)

some frozen peas

salt

Fry the onion, garlic and apple in the olive oil for a few minutes. Add the curry powder and stir for a minute or two. Add the tomatoes (chop them if needed) and green pepper. If you like really sweet tasting curry, then add the raisins and coconut. Cook for about 15 minutes at simmering level and then add your chick peas and cook for a further 10 minutes. Shortly before the end of cooking time put some frozen peas in, as these will go mushy if overcooked. Add salt to taste. We like this best with white basmati rice, and lots of little toppings.

Ingredients:

A little sunflower oil

1 onion

2 or 3 cloves of garlic

1 block of smoked tofu

a good handful of dried arame

500g/18 oz/2 cups basmati rice (this makes a large potful to feed a family - reduce the amount of rice and water accordingly if you want)

a cupful of frozen peas

Seasalt to taste

Water to cover

Fry the onion and garlic in the oil for a few minutes. Chop the tofu into small cuboids and add to the onion and garlic. Add the rice and mix well then add enough water to well cover the rice. Add the arame (you may need to add more water as seaweeds vary in how absorbent they are) and the seasalt. Bring to the boil then turn down to simmer. A few minutes before the end of cooking time add the peas. Nice served with a green salad.

Ingredients:

2 yellow peppers

2 red peppers

3 or 4 parsnips

3 or 4 carrots

half a cup of sunflower oil

3 cloves of garlic

a good handful of basil

Seasalt

Cut the peppers into chunks and scrape and do the same with the carrots and parsnips. Crush the garlic and tear the basil. Mix into the oil. Thoroughly coat the vegetables in the oil mixture and place on a roasting tray. Sprinkle with seasalt and roast for about half to three quarters of an hour at 190C/380F. Lovely as an accompaniment to main dishes such as nut roast, baked potatoes and casseroles.

Ingredients:

Large baking potatoes

Olive oil

Seasalt

Wash the potatoes well and then prick all over with a fork. Coat them with the oil and salt - messy but fun! Bake in the oven for about 1 hour and 15 minutes at 180C/360F. Alternatively you can cook these in a microwave in minutes (follow manufacturers guidelines for timing). Nice served with a green salad and your choice of topping or filling.

Suggested toppings:

Ingredients:

2 or 3 half baked baguettes

1 cup of vegan margarine

3 or 4 cloves of garlic, crushed

2 tablespoons of chopped parsley

Slice the baguettes widthwise (about 3cm. thick works well) carefully leaving the bottom intact (so they are still in their loaf shape). Mash the margarine with the garlic and parsley. Spread both sides of each slice with the margarine mixture then wrap the baguettes in tin foil and bake in the oven at 180c/360F for about 15 minutes.

A garlic free alternative would be to use different fresh, chopped herbs in the margarine instead of garlic for a herby bread.

Ingredients (rather vague in quantity!):

mashed potatoes (as much as you want!)

grated cheesly (or other vegan cheese of choice) - roughly half a cupful

about a tablespoon of vegan margarine - Pure Sunflower was good

2 or 3 tomatoes, sliced

Press the mashed potatoes into an oven proof dish. Mash up the cheesly with the marg and spread this on top of the mash. Arrange the tomatoes on top of that and brown under a hot grill for a few minutes.