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Red lentil dahl soup with broccoli tarka

Red lentil dahl soup with broccoli tarka

Red lentil dahl soup with broccoli tarka

Check out our vegan red lentil dahl soup. This easy recipe is the perfect midweek winter warmer to feed the whole family, plus it's low in calories. Garlic and ginger pastes are available from large supermarkets, and are a great cheat when preparing Asian recipes
Total Time 50 mins
Servings 4

Ingredients
  

  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1 onion finely diced
  • 1 tsp garlic paste
  • 1 tsp ginger paste
  • 1 red chilli seeded and finely chopped
  • 1 tsp ground turmeric
  • 200 g red split lentils
  • 1.5 litres vegetable stock
  • 1 tsp garam masala
  • 1/2 lemon juiced

TARKA

  • 150 g long-stemmed broccoli cut into large pieces
  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1 tsp mustard seeds
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 tsp coriander seeds
  • 1 tsp dried red chilli flakes

Instructions
 

  • Heat the vegetable oil in a pan and add the onion and a pinch of salt. Fry for 5 minutes until the onion is soft. Add the garlic and ginger paste, and red chilli, and fry 1 minute before adding the turmeric. Stir in the lentils. Pour in the stock and simmer for 20 minutes until the lentils start to break down. Stir through the garam masala and lemon juice.
  • To make the tarka, heat a wok or frying pan and add the broccoli with 100ml of water. Cook on a high heat until the water has evaporated. Add the vegetable oil and then the mustard seeds, cumin, coriander and chilli. Fry for 4-5 minutes until the broccoli is charred but still has a crunch.
  • Divide the soup between 4 bowls and top with the broccoli.

Vegan chocolate cheesecake

 

Vegan chocolate cheesecake

Top a fudgy Oreo biscuit base with silken tofu and dark chocolate for a rich, plant-based cheesecake
Total Time 30 mins
Servings 8
Calories 496 kcal

Ingredients
  

BASE

  • 154 g pack of Oreos
  • 30 g vegan butter or margarine melted

CHOCOLATE FILLING

  • 340 g dark chocolate (most chocolate over 60% cacao contains no milk but be sure to check the label) Chopped
  • 60 ml deodorised coconut oil
  • 350 g extra-firm silken tofu
  • 4 tbsp icing sugar sifted
  • 2 tsp lemon juice
  • 200 ml plant milk
  • 2 tbsp cocoa powder
  • a pinch sea salt flakes

Instructions
 

  • Line the base and sides of a deep 20cm springform cake tin.
  • To make the base, roughly crush the Oreos in a food processor or by putting in a sandwich bag and crushing with a rolling pin. Tip into a bowl, add the melted butter and mix. Cover the base of the prepared cake tin with the Oreo mixture, pressing to compact. Chill for at least 30 minutes.
  • For the filling, melt the chocolate and coconut oil in a heatproof bowl over a pan of gently simmering water, stirring frequently.
  • While the chocolate melts, put the silken tofu, sugar, lemon juice, plant milk and cocoa powder into a high-speed blender and whizz until completely smooth. Add the melted chocolate mixture to the blender and whizz again.
  • Pour the filling mixture on top of the chilled Oreo base and chill for at least 3 hours. Once set, sprinkle with a few sea salt flakes before slicing and serving.

Vegan risotto

Vegan risotto

Fennel, courgette, peas and parsley make for a wonderfully green risotto, flavoured with a little nutritional yeast in place of parmesan
Total Time 45 mins
Servings 4
Calories 324 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 onion finely chopped
  • 1 bulb fennel finely chopped
  • 1 courgette halved lengthways and thinly sliced
  • 3 cloves garlic finely chopped
  • 1/2 tsp fennel seeds lightly crushed
  • 200 g risotto rice
  • 1 small glass vegan white wine (optional)
  • 800 ml vegetable stock hot
  • 200 g frozen peas
  • 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
  • 1 lemon zested and juiced
  • a small bunch flat-leaf parsley finely chopped

Instructions
 

  • Heat the olive oil in a large, deep frying pan, add the onion, fennel and courgette, and fry for 10 minutes until softened, adding a splash of water if it starts to catch. Add the garlic and fennel seeds, and cook for 2 minutes, then add the rice and stir until every grain is lightly coated in oil. Pour in the wine, if using, and bubble away until reduced by half.
  • Keep the vegetable stock in a pan over a very low heat to keep warm. Add a ladleful at a time to the risotto, only adding more once the last spoonful has been completely absorbed, stirring all the time. Once the rice is cooked but still has a little bite, add the frozen peas and cook for another few minutes until just cooked. Stir in the nutritional yeast, lemon zest and juice, and some seasoning, divide between shallow bowls and top with the parsley.

Cook's notes

  • Nutritional yeast is deactivated yeast that adds a savoury, umami flavour to vegan dishes – it is available from health-food shops and large supermarkets.

Vegan overnight oats

Vegan overnight oats

All it takes is 10 minutes and four ingredients to make these vegan overnight oats. Finish with grated apple, coconut yogurt and maple syrup
Total Time 10 mins
Servings 4

Ingredients
  

  • 125 g porridge oats
  • 300 ml apple juice plus a splash (optional)
  • 1 tbsp maple syrup
  • 3 tbsp flame raisins or golden sultanas
  • 2 apples grated
  • 100 g dairy-free coconut yogurt

Instructions
 

  • Mix together the oats, apple juice, maple syrup and raisins. Leave to soak overnight or for at least 1-2 hours.
  • To finish, stir through the grated apple and another splash of apple juice if you want it a bit looser. Divide between bowls and top with a dollop of yogurt and a drizzle of maple syrup.

Vegan fajita bowl with cauli rice

Vegan fajita bowl with cauli rice

Try this vibrant, nutritious bowl for a well-balanced vegan meal that has less than 200 calories
Total Time 30 mins
Servings 2
Calories 174 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • olive oil
  • 1 or 2 small red peppers seeded and sliced
  • 1 red onion sliced
  • 1 tbsp chipotle paste
  • 200 g tin chopped tomatoes
  • 1 small cauliflower chopped
  • 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1/2 tsp garlic salt or granules
  • 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1/2 tsp dried oregano
  • 1/2 tsp chilli flakes
  • 1/2 small avocado stoned and sliced to serve
  • coriander a few leaves chopped to serve
  • lime wedges to serve

Instructions
 

  • Heat 1 tsp oil and fry the peppers and onions for 10 minutes until soft and lightly golden. Add the chipotle paste, tomatoes and a splash of water. Simmer for 15-20 minutes until the sauce has thickened slightly.
  • For the spiced cauliflower rice, pulse the cauliflower in a food processor until it looks like grains. Toast the cumin in a non-stick frying pan in 1 tsp olive oil, add the garlic salt, paprika, oregano and chilli flakes, and fry for a minute before adding the cauliflower rice. Stir-fry for 4-6 minutes until the cauliflower is tender, and smells a little toasted. Season well with black pepper (and only a little salt if using garlic salt). Divide between bowls. Add the peppers on top, the avocado, and coriander leaves. Serve with lime wedges to squeeze over.

No-bake vegan flapjacks

 

No-bake vegan flapjacks

These dairy-free breakfast bars use dates and nut butter to hold together. Experiment with different seeds and nuts in your next batch of flapjacks, and use agave for a vegan version.
Calories 145 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 160 g soft dates chopped
  • 60 g smooth peanut or almond butter
  • 40 g agave syrup (use honey for a non-vegan version)
  • 4 tbsp sunflower seeds
  • 4 tbsp chia seeds
  • 100 g porridge oats
  • 50 g roasted peanuts or almonds roughly chopped

Instructions
 

  • Blitz the dates in a food processor until finely chopped and they’ve come together into a ball/paste. Add 1 tbsp boiling water if they aren’t sticking. Heat the nut butter and honey very gently in a pan until it becomes a smooth, pourable mix.
  • Stir all the remaining ingredients and the dates in a large bowl, then pour over the nut butter and honey mix. Mix really well (kneading with your hands to break up the dates) until everything is evenly distributed.
  • Line a 20cm square tin or container with baking parchment, and tip the mix in. Press the mixture into the sides and pack down with the back of a spoon. Cover and chill for 20 minutes, before cutting into bars. Keep the bars in the fridge or in an airtight container for 3 days, or freeze and thaw overnight at room temperature if you want to keep them longer.

Notes

Adapted from olivemagazine.com