Vegan Bean Chilli
This recipe is a quick and easy meal idea and can easily be made with all plastic-free ingredients!
Ingredients
1 onion, chopped
6 cloves garlic, crushed
1 chilli, chopped (leave out for no spice)
1 red capsicum, chopped
1 yellow capsicum, chopped
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp chilli
1 cup Care Fillery Bolognese TVP mix (see below for alternatives)
1 cup boiling water
1 tin red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 tin cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
2 tins chopped tomatoes
2 tbsp tomato paste (bought in a jar)
1 tbsp maple syrup
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
50g dark chocolate
Avocado
Lime
Coriander
*Plain TVP can also be found plastic-free at Bin Inn, or replace with a can of lentils. For plastic-free spices, I refill at the GoodFor store. You can purchase plastic-free refills from them online too! A plastic free brand from regular NZ supermarkets is Mrs Rogers. I also refill maple syrup and balsamic at GoodFor. At the supermarket, look out for glass bottles with no plastic lids. O Canada maple syrup is plastic free.
Method
First mix together TVP and boiling water in a bowl and set aside for 10 minutes.
Fry onion, garlic and chilli in a large fry pan until onion is translucent. Add capsicum and fry until slightly softened. Add spices and fry for a minute then add the TVP, beans, tomatoes, tomato paste, maple syrup, balsamic vinegar and chocolate. Mix together then simmer for 10-15 minutes on a low heat. Taste and season with salt & pepper if needed.
Serve in a bowl with avocado and lime juice to top. Or, pair with some quinoa or rice.
Scrambled Tofu
My go-to scrambled tofu recipe! It’s so tasty and a game-changer for your vegan breakfast spreads.
Ingredients
300g pack tofu
1/4 cup soy milk
1 tbsp nutritional yeast
1/8 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp black salt (kala namak) (substitute for regular salt)
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp garlic powder (substitute 1 clove crushed garlic)
1/4 tsp onion powder (optional)
1/4 tsp paprika
1 tbsp olive oil
Method
Add all ingredients to a bowl and mix with your hands until scramble like texture. Add to a fry pan and fry for 5-7 minutes. Taste test and season if needed. Serve with your favourite fry-up foods or on its own.
Potato Salad
Perfect addition to any vegan feast! A classic but veganised!
Ingredients
680g small potatoes
1 tbsp salt
1/2 cup vegan mayo (recipe below)
1 tbsp wholegrain mustard
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
Salt & pepper
Fresh dill
1/2 red onion, sliced in thin half circles
1/2 cup slices pickles
Mayo
1 cup plain oil
1/2 cup soy milk
1 tsp dijon mustard
Salt & pepper
1 tsp lemon juice
Method:
To make the vegan mayo, place all ingredients in a blender and blend for 5-10 seconds until thick. Taste and add more lemon juice, salt or mustard if necessary. Mix the wholegrain mustard and red wine vinegar into the 1/2 cup of vegan mayonnaise, this is your potato salad dressing.
Chop potatoes into quarters, or any size your prefer. Boil a pot of water with the tbsp of salt then place the chopped potatoes and boil until a knife goes through easily. Place cooked potatoes, red onion and pickles in a large bowl and mix through your dressing until everything is coated. Sprinkle with fresh dill and salt & pepper. Enjoy!
Smashed Peas on Toast
We all know that avocados have good years and bad years. This year, sadly, is a bad year and I am missing my smashed avocado on toast. So, I decided to come up with an alternative, smashed peas on toast! I have never liked peas but this was so tasty and the best replacement!
Ingredients (serves 1)
Avocado or olive oil
1 cup frozen peas
1 tbsp almond butter or tahini
Juice 1/2 lemon
Salt & pepper
Dash plant milk
2 slices of bread
Method
Cook peas in boiling water for 2-3 minutes. Heat avocado oil or olive oil in a saucepan then add cooked peas. Add lemon juice, almond butter, salt & pepper and plant milk then smash with a fork or masher. Transfer to some toasted bread and enjoy or top with any other toppings you like. Eg mushrooms, sprouts, tomato, etc!
Mixed Berry Galette
Much easier than baking a pie but it tastes the same! If you haven’t tried making a galette for dessert before this is your sign to try. Includes the recipe for my vegan sweet pastry.
Ingredients
Pastry
2 cups flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup coconut oil (hardened in fridge) or firm vegan butter, cut into small chunks
2-4 tbsp cold water
Filling
3 cups frozen or fresh mixed berries
2 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp cornflour
1 tbsp lemon juice
Vegan egg wash
1/4 cup plant milk
1 tbsp maple syrup
Brown or raw sugar for topping
Method
For the pastry, place all ingredients except water into a food processor and blend until fine. Keep blending and add one tbsp of water at a time until mixture starts to clump together. You may not need all the water. Put mixture into a bowl and knead until dough forms. Wrap dough in clingfilm and refrigerate for at least half an hour.
Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celcius.
Mix berries, sugar, cornflour and lemon together in a bowl. Roll out the pastry to make a large circle. About 3-4mm thick. Transfer to a lined baking tray.
Pour the berry mix in the middle of the circle and leave about 5cm pastry clear around the edge. Fold the clear pastry edges over the berries (it's okay if the edges break a bit).
Mix together the milk and maple syrup then brush over the pastry thoroughly. Sprinkle sugar over the pastry then bake in the oven for 30 mins until golden brown. Transfer to a cooling rack for 5 mins then slice and serve with some plant based ice cream!
Cashew Nut Stir Fry
Stir fries are one of the simplest vegan recipes to make. Just throwing whatever veggies you have left into a pan with a delicious sauce. Here is one of my favourite recipes for a stir fry.
Ingredients
1/2 cup raw cashews
4 servings rice, cooked
1 block tofu, cut into bite-sized cubes
1 onion, diced
1 carrot, sliced into half-moons
1 capsicum, sliced
1 broccoli, cut into small florets
Sauce
4 tbsp soy
4 tsp brown sugar
2 cloves garlic
Pinch ground pepper
2 tsp cornflour
1/3 cup water
Method
Toast cashews lightly in a large fry pan. Set aside then use the same fry pan to fry veggies and tofu until softened and browned.
Mix together sauce ingredients in a bowl then add to softened veggies. Add cashews then serve with cooked rice.
Cacao Granola
I’m so fussy when it comes to granola so I usually make it myself. This recipe hits the spot and doesn’t take too long to make. You should have all the ingredients in your kitchen cupboard!
Ingredients
1 cup oats
2 tbsp fine coconut
2 handfuls of nuts/seeds of your choice
1 tbsp cacao powder
2 tbsp maple syrup
1 tbsp avocado oil (sub melted coconut oil)
1 tbsp almond butter (any nut butter will do!)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup chocolate chips or chopped chocolate
Method
Mix dry ingredients, minus chocolate, together in a bowl. In a separate bowl combine wet ingredients. Mix the two together, you may need to get in there with your hands to incorporate the ingredients well. Add chocolate chips and mix through.
Spread evenly across a lined baking tray and bake for 15-20 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius, turning the granola with a spatula half way through cooking so it gets evenly roasted. Leave to cool then enjoy in your breakfasts or as a snack.
Sticky Tofu Mince
This one is for those tofu haters out there (and for everyone else obviously). I firmly believe anyone can like tofu because it’s so versatile, you just need to find your way of cooking it. This recipe is a great place to start, you can barely tell you are eating tofu in this recipe and the sticky sauce is so good! Serve with rice for a tasty meal.
Ingredients (serves 4)
Two blocks tofu, patted dry and crumbled small
1/2 red onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, crushed
Sticky Sauce
2 tbsp thick vegan teriyaki sauce or coconut aminos
2 tbsp tamari
1 tbsp maple syrup
1 tbsp rice vinegar
1/4 cup water
1/2 tbsp sesame oil
Optional: 1 tbsp vegan fish sauce (I use Culley’s)
4 servings rice, cooked, to serve
Chopped spring onions, to serve
Spicy version! Swap teriyaki/aminos for gochujang paste - this is also very yummy!
Method
Preheat oven to 200 degrees Celsius. Crumble tofu onto a lined baking tray and spread out evenly. Place in the oven for 30 minutes, taking out halfway and turning the tofu over so all sides get crispy.
Meanwhile make your sauce by mixing all the ingredients together in a bowl.
Heat a large fry pan with oil then add onion and garlic. Fry until translucent then add cooked crumbled tofu. Add your sauce and simmer for 10 minutes on a low heat until thickens. Serve on some rice with chopped spring onions
