Have you ever fancied trying something new at the weekend? Or are looking for a fantastic dish that is appealing and will be appreciated by the whole family?
If so, please carry on reading and explore the wonderful world of vegan cooking.
In this blog, I have included three of my most favourite summer recipes that are really enjoyed by my whole family (who are not vegans themselves!), including:
Veggie Tikka Masala
Rainbow pie
Cauliflower pilaf
Veggie Tikka Masala
Preparation: 15 minutes | Cooking time: 45 minutes
This recipe is just such a home comfort. I mostly enjoy this on a rainy summers evening, which I can quickly cook up and eat in front of Friday night TV. What I love most about this dish is that I can use just one large pan, which is great for even the laziest of people who loath washing up!
I cook this recipe nearly every week, and what I found the most easiest was to create the curry paste in bulk to save time. Alternatively, you can use a ready-made paste from the supermarket, which can save even more time in the kitchen.
Ingredients:
For the curry paste:
Fresh ginger (thumb-sized), peeled
3x cloves of garlic
1 ½ tbsp garam masala
1tsp chili powder
1tsp turmeric
½ tsp paprika
½ tsp cumin
½ tsp coriander
Drizzle of olive/rapeseed oil
For the curry:
Drizzle of olive/rapeseed oil
Onion, finely sliced
2x large carrots, sliced in rounds
2 ½ tbsp tomato puree
Can of tomatoes, chopped
250ml vegetable stock
Can of chickpeas, rinsed and drained
Can of coconut milk (full fat)
Butternut squash, peeled and cut up in chunks
1x bag of spinach
Dash of lemon juice
Chopped coriander
Method:
To make the curry paste, simply blend all the ingredients together in a food processer and add the oil slowly until you have made a nice, smooth consistency. Then set aside.
Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the onions until they are soft.
Next, mix in the curry paste and tomato puree for about 1-2 minutes.
Pour in the vegetable stock and tin of tomatoes, and then add the chunks of butternut squash and sliced carrots.
Mix in the coconut milk, add the chickpeas, and let this simmer for about 10-15 minutes until the sauce thickens.
Finally, gradually add the spinach and let this to cook on a low heat for 5 minutes before adding a dash of lemon juice and a sprinkle of coriander.
This dish is best served on rice, or if you are feeling adventurous mix in some penne pasta!
Rainbow pie
Preparation: 35 minutes | Cooking time: 45 minutes
For those who enjoy delighting the masses, this recipe is simply scrumptious. It is not only a showstopper at any dinner party or BBQ, but it even tastes great after being frozen (trust me)!
This dish was inspired by a recipe from Simply Vegan, but I have created my own version with a few alterations. One of which is substituting the leek with a red onion as I personally feel this brings more flavour to the dish, but feel free to follow the original recipe.
The recipe requires two packs of short crust pastry, but if you want to be a little more “extra”, why not substitute one of the packs with filo pastry to top the pie instead. I really think this creates more texture and finesse!
I would also suggest using a spring form cake tin (20cm/8-inch) for this recipe as it will be easier to remove the pie at the end.
Ingredients:
2x pre-rolled short crust pastry/filo
1x red onion, sliced
2x garlic cloves, finely chopped
330g mushrooms, sliced
Drizzle of olive/rapeseed oil
Salt & pepper
½ tsp dried tarragon
4x medium sweet potatoes
200g baby spinach
75g dried cranberries
150g pre-cooked beetroot, sliced
1 tbsp soya milk
Method:
Preheat your oven to 180°C, gas mark 4 and grease your tin with some oil.
To prepare your filling, sauté the sliced onion for about 5 minutes in a frying pan. Next, add the sliced mushrooms, tarragon, and garlic to the pan and let this cook on a medium heat for about 10 minutes until the vegetables are soft. Season and set aside.
Peel and cut the sweet potatoes into chunks and let them steam for ten minutes. Mash these with a drizzle of oil and season with pepper and salt.
To prepare the spinach, simply pour boiling water over the leaves in a colander and let this drain and cool before squeezing any excess liquid out.
To make the crust, roll a pack of pastry on a lightly floured surface so that it can cover the base of your tin – I would suggest aiming for a thickness of 4mm.
Transfer your base over to line your tin (tip: roll the pastry around the rolling pin to transfer, make sure that it does not stick to the pin with a little flour).
To create the layered, rainbow effect, add half of the sweet potato mash to the base to create the first layer. Once this layer is smooth, sprinkle the cranberries across the top.
Next, neatly lay the sliced beetroot for the second layer – make sure this does not touch the pastry.
Add the sautéed red onion and mushrooms. Then an even layer of spinach, before adding the final layer of sweet potato.
To complete the pie, create a top using the second pack of pastry using the same technique as before and brush some soya milk over the top. If you are using filo, simply overlap the thin sheets over the top.
Pierce two slits in the pastry on the top to allow steam to escape, and then put your pie in the oven for about 45 minutes.
After taking your pie out of the oven, leave it to cool before removing it from the tin.
Top tip: With any of the excess short crust pastry, you can create patterns and add this to the top of the pie e.g. rainbow, stars, leaves etc.
Cauliflower pilaf
Preparation: 25 minutes | Cooking time: 20 minutes
This dish was inspired by the recipe from Sainsbury magazine, which I have adapted to suit plant-based and vegan diets. This pilaf is such a delight, personally I would save this dish for a Saturday evening, but it would also go great as a side dish at a party or even to be eaten for lunch during the week.
To adapt this recipe to suit a more plant-based diet, I have replaced the natural yoghurt to a soya or coconut alternative to top the pilaf.
Interesting fact: Bharat is a spice that consists of black pepper, paprika, nutmeg, cardamom, coriander, cloves, cumin, and cinnamon.
Ingredients:
100g cashews
2x onions
Drizzle of olive/rapeseed oil
1x cauliflower, broken in florets
275g basmati rice
2 tbsp Baharat
1 cinnamon stick
750ml water, boiled
200g frozen peas
To serve:
1 clove of garlic
300ml coconut cream/soya natural yoghurt
Fresh parsley, chopped
Fresh mint, chopped
Pomegranate seeds
Method:
To get started, preheat your oven to 180°C, gas mark 4. Put the cashews onto a baking tray and let them toast in the oven for about five to eight minutes until golden. Let them cool and roughly chop.
Fry the onions in a large saucepan with a drizzle of oil slowly for ten minutes. Then add half of the cashews and season. Fry this gently for another five minutes or until the onions are soft and golden.
Turn up the heat and add the cauliflower. When it is coated in the onions, add the rice, salt and spices and fry until sizzling.
Cover with 750ml of boiling water, bring to boil, and stir.
Reduce the heat and let it cook for ten minutes with the lid on.
After ten-minutes, remove the lid and stir in the peas. Replace the lid and then remove from the heat for the pilaf to cook slowly for another five minutes.
Crush the garlic and mix this into the yoghurt with a pinch of salt.
After the pilaf has rested, fluff it with a fork.
To serve, add the fresh herbs, the rest of the cashews, pomegranate seeds and yoghurt.
To find more recipes that will tickle your taste buds, please click on the links below:
