Slow and Succulent Archives - Feast of Plants

The Best Vegan Toad in the Hole (Vegan & GF)

Feast of Plants — Tue, 18 Apr 2023 13:00:04 +0000

Vegan Toad in the Hole can be … tricky. There are quite a few recipes out there for vegan attempts at Yorkshire puddings and toad in the hole and I’ve tried them all. Without exception they were all cakey, not the right texture at all. A good Yorkshire pudding should be light and airy, crisp on top, and a base that’s almost reminiscent of a set custard. Add in the need to make it gluten free and you’d think that would make it even harder, but that was my breakthrough for this recipe. I’ve got quite a stash of weird and wonderful gluten free flours these days and after experimenting with them I got the closest I ever have to a vegan version of this classic British dish. Some of them might be a bit tricky to find but you’ll need; Ener-g Egg Replacer Glutinous Rice Flour Tapioca Starch Pectin Powder I admit this recipe isn’t exactly the same, it won’t puff up the same nor be as light. However, it’s so close that everyone I’ve served it to has begged me to share the recipe. If you’ve been craving Toad in the Hole and are keeping to a vegan diet, then I guarantee this will hit the spot. The best toad in the hole recipe, perfect for a cold winter day. You won't miss the eggs here!

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Restaurant Style Tofu Tikka Masala (Vegan & GF)

Feast of Plants — Thu, 09 Feb 2023 11:30:56 +0000

See the recipe I love Tikka Masala. There’s something about the creamy, rich sauce that is just so incredibly satisfying. I’m pretty sure I’m tried almost every recipe for Tofu Tikka Masala on the internet but none of them hit the same spot as the classic takeout version of Chicken Tikka Masala. A treasured favourite of our pre-vegan days, I deeply wanted to find a homemade version that was just as good. Lets get something straight, I’m not claiming this is an authentic Indian recipe. Instead, this is based on a British-Indian restaurant classic and is a damn delicious fakeaway copycat dish that has converted some tofu-haters in our family. What’s more, this isn’t a difficult curry to make once you know the trick to it. Just like my Restaurant Style Brinjal Bhaji recipe, a key part of this is my curry base. I tend to make large batches of this base sauce and always have some in my freezer so I can easily whip a great dish with very little prep. Once you get cooking, don’t rush it. You want a good char on your tofu when grilling it. Let your tomato puree roast in the pan before adding the sauce, and don’t be afraid to let the sauce caramelise before you add the tofu. This will give you the great depth of flavour that is the secret to a perfect restaurant style curry. This is a great dish for entertaining as it can be made in advance and then simply heated through when you are ready to eat. I like to serve it with plain basmati rice but you could also serve it with naan, chapati or paratha (flatbread). Leftovers? You have leftover tikka masala? You lucky, lucky duck. Almost all curries are better the next day and really benefit from time to let the flavours meld. Store your tikka masala in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Alternatively, it will happily sit in your freezer till your next takeaway craving hits. Charred Tofu in a creamy, rich, curry sauce. Make this your next go to when you're craving a take away!

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Restaurant Style Brinjal Bhaji

Feast of Plants — Thu, 02 Feb 2023 11:30:00 +0000

An Indian restaurant specialty with aubergine cooked in a wonderfully spiced sauce. Served with my own okra side and saffron rice the house ended up smelling like an Indian restaurant and it was amazing!

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Chilli Non Carne (Vegan & Gluten Free)

Feast of Plants — Tue, 31 Jan 2023 11:30:38 +0000

See the recipe Obliviously, this dish is inspired by Chilli con Carne. If you’ve not heard of it before, this is a Tex-Mex dish normally made with minced beef, chili peppers, and a mixture of spices. The meatiest of all the chillies, it’s been a challenge to make a vegan version that will make most meat eaters just as happy. But I brough this to a pot luck with friends last week and it was incredibly popular, I think I might have cracked it. Let’s talk about flavour Let’s be honest, this chilli recipe is not quick, it’s all about building up the flavour layer by layer. However, I guarantee it’s not hard, and it is so incredibly worth it. Combine the intense depth of flavour with the texture of the browned tofu mixed with red lentils and it makes for a deep, tasty, and meaty chilli that doesn’t contain any meat! It can be a little difficult to find the range of dried chillies we need in a UK supermarket. As such, my recommended source is Amazon. I’d start here and see what else you need! What to serve with it? You can enjoy this chilli by itself but for me it’s so much better served on a baked potato or with some rice and topped off with some guacamole. Leftovers? Chilli is one of those dishes that can be even better after a day or two in the fridge so box up your leftovers in an airtight container. It should be excellent to eat for up to 5 days. Alternatively, it will happily sit in your freezer till your next cold day. The recipe below makes for a lot of food, making the ideal dish for a crowd or for a batch cooking session. If you want to reduce the recipe it will happily work, but I’d encourage you to make the full batch of chilli paste and freeze any you don’t need. This chilli is hearty, warming, and meaty - despite having no meat at all!

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Scotsman Approved Vegan Haggis (Vegan & GF)

Feast of Plants — Wed, 25 Jan 2023 11:30:02 +0000

Originally posted back in 2021. Grab your haggis, we’re wishing you a happy Burns night! Held on the birthday of the Scottish poet Robert Burns, events typically include reading poetry, raising toasts (with lots of whiskey for preference), and properly addressing the haggis before eating it. I know – I really do – just how worried some people will be by the idea of doing a vegan version of this meaty dish. Traditionally made from those lesser eaten bits of a sheep (translation – offal like stomach and lungs), it’s the ultimate of waste not, want not food. It also known for a very distinct taste. Surprisingly a lot of that taste comes not from the meat but from spices. In the end, this wasn’t a difficult dish to make, the main point here is not to be afraid of the spices. A mix of lentils and walnuts give the meaty texture while the spices bring that deep haggis like flavour. To serve this I encourage you to go with the traditional neeps & tatties (or turnips & potatoes for those of use that aren’t Scottish) but there’s one traditional part of this meal that I’m really not a fan of – whiskey sauce. As many of you know, I don’t drink but even if I did there’s little I could think that I’d hate more than whiskey sauce. If you love it, then go for it but I much preferred using my peppercorn sauce. What’s more important – Kenny approved, and declared it so close to the original you could barely tell. So with the Scotsman stamp of approval, I give you my recipe for vegan haggis. A Scotsman approved alternative to the traditional meat dish that pairs beautifully with cold winter nights.

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Lo Bak Gou or Daikon Cake (Vegan & Gluten Free)

Feast of Plants — Thu, 10 Mar 2022 12:00:25 +0000

See the recipe If you’ve never had Lo Bak Gou before, you are missing out! It’s a delicious dish that can be eaten steamed or, as we prefer, stir fried. You can find it in most Chinese restaurants in the Dim Sum section of the menu and is often made around Chinese holidays, as a symbol of prosperity and new beginnings in Chinese tradition. Traditionally this radish cake is made from Chinese turnip or daikon (also known as mooli), rice flour, and water and then steamed. Once cool it can be cut into slices and pan fried until golden brown and crispy. The interior of the cake remains soft while the edges crisp up to give a great texture contrast. The most basic version of this recipe is naturally vegan and gluten free but the most popular adaptations use dried shrimps and Chinese sausage. I wanted to make my own version that was just as tasty but still vegan. I added more flavour and colour by adding a mix of carrots and parsnips. Swapped the sausage for dried shitake mushrooms, and used vegan fish sauce instead of shrimps. If you haven’t tried this dish yet, I highly recommend you give it a go. It’s a bit time consuming to make but it’s worth it because the texture and flavour are so different from any other dish. Makes: Serves 4 Ingredients 650g Daikon or Chinese Turnip 200g Parsnip 150g Carrot 3 Dried Shitake Mushrooms, soaked overnight 2 Garlic Cloves 1 Tbsp Vegan Fish Sauce 1 1/2 tsp Salt 1 tsp Ground White Pepper 1/2 tbsp Toasted Sesame Oil 2 tsp Vegetable Stock powder For the Batter: 210g Rice Flour* 400ml Water Oil for brushing Salt & Pepper to taste For the Stir Fry: 3 Red Chillies, cut into thin strips 2 tbsp Soy Sauce 5 Spring Onions, cut into strips Oil for cooking Directions Lets start with a few easy preparations so when you start cooking, everything is ready to go. Grease a 7 inch square loose based, cake tin and line the base with grease proof paper. Whisk together the batter and set to one side. Finally, prepare the vegetables – grate the daikon, parsnip and carrot together. Finely dice both the garlic and mushrooms. Place a wok on a high heat with a touch of oil. When the oil comes up to heat and starts to shimmer, stir fry the garlic and mushroom together until the garlic just starts to brown. Add the grated vegetables and season with the fish sauce, sesame oil, stock powder, and salt and pepper. Mix well before covering with a lid and cook until the vegetables release their water and it just starts to boil in the pan. This will likely take between 5 and 10 minutes but keep a close eye on it as you don’t want the mix to dry out. Turn the heat down to medium. Slowly, while constantly mixing, add in the batter. There should be enough that the vegetables are all fully coated but not swamped. Continue to cook and stir until the batter has thickened. Transfer the mix to the prepared cake tin, smooth out, and lightly brush the top with oil. Clean out your wok, add a steam rack and water to just below the steamer. When the water comes up to a boil, transfer the cake tin to steamer and cover with a lid. steam for 30 – 45 minutes, or until a chopstick inserted into the centre comes out clean. You can eat the cake as it is (and it’s incredibly popular in some parts of the world like this) but I like to move on to the next step. Let the cake cool down completely and refrigerate overnight – if not cooled completely it won’t cut cleanly. Remove the cake from the tin and transfer to a cutting board. Cut the cake into your favourite shapes, I like thin squares or bitesize cubes. Heat a non-stick frying pan on a high heat and fry until golden brown on all sides. Transfer to a plate and put the pan back on heat with a touch of oil. Stir fry the chilli, garlic, and spring onions until fragrant. Add back the cooked squares along with the soy sauce and toss to combine. Serve immediatly and enjoy! Notes * There is regular rice flour and sweet or glutinous rice flour – make sure you use regular rice flour here. Allergy Notes: This is naturally vegan, gluten free, soy free and nut free (though skip the sesame oil if you are sensitive to sesame seeds). If you have any allergies to the ingredients in this dish or have questions on substitutions, leave me a comment below.

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Mung Bean Coconut Curry (Vegan & Gluten Free)

Feast of Plants — Thu, 03 Mar 2022 12:00:22 +0000

Skip straight to the recipe This dish definitely fits the definition of #uglydelicious. I know it looks … dubious but trust me here, it’s so tasty that I probably ate twice as much as I should have. Another recipe borne from COVID lockdown when I was attempting to use every little bit of pantry staples before going shopping again, this turned out so tasty we’ve had it several times since. Like most pulses, mung beans are little powerhouses of nutrition, stuffed full of protein, vitamins, and minerals making them the ideal cornerstone for a plant based pantry. What’s more, they’re cheap and a bag of dried beans is the perfect pantry staple as they last for ages. But if you don’t have any to hand, this recipe will probably work equally well with urid dhal (simmer for aprox 45mins), red lentils (split red lentils only take 10 minutes to cook), or cooked chickpeas (skip the stock entirely and just simmer until you reach your preferred thickness). Leftovers? Got some left? I don’t think anyone would complain about having it for dinner again the next day, but it should store well in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days or equally happily inn the freezer for up to a month. Makes: Serves 4 Ingredients Oil for cooking 1 cup Dried Mung Beans 1 tsp Mustard Seeds 5 Dried Curry Leaves 1/4 tsp Asafoetida 1/2 tsp Cumin 1/2 tsp Ground Coriander 1/2 tsp Chilli Powder Pinch of Turmeric 1/2 Large Onion, diced 1/2 Tbsp minced Ginger 2 Garlic Cloves, minced 1 Green Chilli, finely diced 1 Tomato, diced 200ml Coconut Milk 250ml Vegetable stock 1 tbsp Korma Spice Paste 1 tsp Garam Masala 1 tbsp Coriander Leaves Salt to taste Directions Place a medium pan on high heat with a few tablespoons of oil. When the oil is hot and starts to shimmer, throw in the mustard seeds to toast. Listen for when the seeds start to pop, before lowering the heat and add in the curry leaves. Sauté for a few seconds, or until fragrant, before adding the rest of the spices apart from the garam masala. Briefly sizzle in the oil. Add the chopped onions with the spice paste and sauté until the onions are softened and translucent. Stir in the garlic, ginger and chillies and cook until fragrant. Stir through the tomato and add the coconut milk, stock, and mung beans and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the mung beans are tender and you’re happy with the consistency. If you’re looking for more sauce then you may want to add a touch more coconut milk but we like this fairly thick. Stir through the garam masala and coriander leaves before tasting. Season as needed, remember you’ve not added any salt yet, before serving with rice or some Indian flat breads. Notes Allergy Notes: This is naturally vegan, gluten free, soy free and nut free. If you have any allergies to the ingredients in this dish or have questions on substitutions, leave me a comment below.

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Easy Vegetable Chilli (Vegan & Gluten Free)

Feast of Plants — Thu, 24 Feb 2022 12:00:50 +0000

See the recipe As a child I hated kidney beans with a passion. I would sit, hovering over my mother’s Chilli Con Carne, picking out every dark red, hated bean before even deigning to eat the dinner she had lovingly cooked. These days, I acknowledge that beans and lentils are part of a balanced vegan’s diet but it took hard work for me to get past my own legume phobia. That and cooking my beans from dried. I don’t know what it is about tinned beans but the texture just isn’t nearly as good as when you’ve cooked them yourself. It’s cheaper and, even better, with a pressure cooker you don’t need to have planned ahead and have beans soaking overnight (it’s better, but you don’t have too). Here in the UK we’ve had 3 storms in the last week alone. We’ve been lucky enough to have not suffered any damage but it’s been a cold winter with some horrible wind. So after coming in from a stupidly cold winters day, not able to feel my feet or hands, I decided I was just not going out again. Dinner had to be made from what we had in the house. With the cupboards getting a little bare, beans would have to be involved, add a glut of tinned tomatoes and some sweet potatoes that really need eating and we’re off with a delicious Veggie Chili that’s just perfect for a cold day! Toppings You can enjoy chilli by itself but for me, the toppings are what really makes it. Our favourite options that work well include; Tortilla Chips Lime and Coriander Rice Guacamole Cashew sour cream Pickled red onions Sliced chillies (for those who just can’t get enough heat) I tend to reach for the guacamole and pickled onions as I love that extra acidy tang to bring out all the flavours of the vegetables and spices. Kenny will reach for the extra sliced chillies as he loves it extra hot, and sour cream is great for those who don’t have much of a head for chilli. Leftovers? Chilli is one of those dishes that can be even better after a day or two in the fridge so box up your leftovers in an airtight container. It should be excellent to eat for up to 5 days. Alternatively, it will happily sit in your freezer till your next cold day. It you want something different the next day but want to use up your leftover Chilli then it makes a great base for a new take on vegan burritos. Makes: Serves 4 Ingredients For the Chilli: 1 tbsp Oil 2 Onions 2 Sticks of Celery 2 Carrots 2 Peppers, I like a mix of red and green here 2 Medium Sweet Potatoes 2 Garlic Cloves 2 TIns of Chopped Tomatoes (400g each) 250g cooked Kidney Beans* 250g cooked Black Beans* 1/3 cup mixed Quinoa 250ml Vegetable Stock 2 tsp cumin 1 tsp ground coriander 1 tbsp smoked paprika 1 tbsp Chilli Powder 1 dried Ancho Chilli 1 tsp oregano Lime juice, to taste Salt & Pepper to taste Suggested Toppings: Tortilla chips Lime & Coriander Rice Guacamole Pickled Red Onions Cashew Sour Cream Sliced chillies Directions Start by roughly chopping your veg, Chilli is not a dainty dish so we’re looking for small enough to fit in your mouth but not certainly not small. Heat the oil in large pan on a medium heat. Throw in the onion, carrot and celery and saute until the onion softens. Add in the rest of the fresh vegetables and cook until the garlic is aromatic and the onion begins to brown, but don’t let the garlic burn. Now add your tinned tomatoes, beans, quinoa, stock and spices. Stir well and don’t forget to season. Bring up to a boil, cover, and leave to simmer for the next 45-60 mins, or until or the veg is soft and the quinoa is cooked and tender (cooking time may vary depending on how chunky you’ve made your vegetables). Check on it occasionally and give it a gentle stir. Before serving, add a squeeze of lime juice, taste and check seasoning levels – not just for salt and pepper this time but also to make sure you don’t want to add any additional heat or another squeeze of lime (that little hit of acid can really bring out the spices). This works really well served family style with all the toppings on the table so everyone can make it their own. Notes * I cook my beans from dried in the pressure cooker as this is both cheaper and, in my opinion, much taster. If you want to use tinned, 250g is aprox the same as one tin of drained and rinsed beans. Allergy Notes: This is naturally vegan, gluten free, soy free and nut free. If you have any allergies to the ingredients in this dish or have questions on substitutions, leave me a comment below.

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Beetroot & Coconut Curry (Vegan & Gluten Free)

Feast of Plants — Tue, 16 Mar 2021 16:09:40 +0000

We get a veg box most weeks and it’s been great for encouraging me tto be creative with my cooking, as well as being more seasonal. What it’s not great for? Seasonal means that we sometime gets the same veggies over and over again. While that’s great for staple like carrots and potatoes, for some veg it can be a bit of a struggle. At this time of year, beetroot can be one of those problems – since we don’t tend to have the same things over and over again it’s been a struggle to make something new each time. I’ve turned it unto pancakes, vegan wellington, burgers, ravioli, pickled it and used it in stir fries. The one thing I haven’t done before is what I present you today, beetroot curry. Beetroot is the star of this dish with coconut and spices lifting the earthiness of beetroot to new exotic heights. Inspired by a combination of Indian and Sri Lankan cooking, this is actually on of easier recipes here. It’s not quick but, like most curries, it’s even better the next day so it that makes it perfect for meal prepping. So whip it together on the weekend or start it while working from home. There’s not much hands on time so what I do, begin the sauté while on a conference call – by the time the meeting’s over it’ll be happily simmering away and you can move on to the rest of your day job. Perfect if you love beetroot, it’s ideal served with rice or some of your favourite flatbreads. Makes: Serves 4-6 Ingredients 2 Tbsp Coconut Oil 1 Cinnamon Stick 1 tsp Coriander Seeds 1 tsp Cumin Seeds 1 tsp Mustard Seeds 1 Onion, finely diced 1 Green Chilli, finely diced 1 Red Chilli, finely diced 5 Lime Leaves 1 Bay leaf 2 Garlic cloves, minced 4 Large Beetroot, peeled & roughly chopped 300ml Coconut Milk 1 tsp Chilli Flakes 1 Tbsp Garam Masala 1 Tbsp Fenugreek Leaves 60ml Vegetable Stock 1 tsp Sugar (optional) 1 tbsp Cornflour (optional but great to thicken the sauce!) Salt & Pepper to taste Directions Place a large, heavy based pan on to a a medium heat with the coconut oil. Once the oil has heated through add in the cinnamon, cumin, coriander, and mustard seeds. Lightly toast until the seeds begin to darken and the mustard seeds begin to pop. Add in the onion, chillies, and at least a tsp of salt. Gently sauté until the onion softens and turns translucent. Now add in the lime leaves, bay leaves, and garlic and continue to cook until the onions start to brown. Now add in the rest of the ingredients and stir well to combine. Bring up to a gentle simmer and cook, simmering constantly, until the beetroot softens and can be easily pieced by a fork. Depending on how small you’ve cut up the beetroot this can take between 30 and 50 minutes. Once cooked, taste and season, adding more sugar if needed. If the curry is a little thinner than you’d like, remove 2 tbsp and mix with the cornflour to make a thin paste. Carefully stir through the sauce and continue cooking until thickened. Serve with rice or you favourite flatbreads. Enjoy! Notes Allergy Notes; This dish is vegan, gluten free, soy free, and nut free – wohoo! If you struggle with any of these ingredients then let me know and I can suggest alternatives.

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Vegan & Gluten Free Ravioli Two Ways

Feast of Plants — Mon, 01 Feb 2021 16:02:16 +0000

I did a thing and I am oh so proud of it. I made homemade pasta, it was vegan and gluten free and it was oh so tasty, and I’ll teach you to do it too. It’s not difficult and you don’t need a lot of special equipment. You will need time and patience but hey, we’re in lockdown, time isn’t something we’re short of right now. Get the kids involved, they’ll love it, or spend your next Friday night making pasta, while you watch something fascinating. I found it really quite satisfying. But first, before we look at pasta, we need to talk about flour. Gluten free flour to be specific. I’m a big fan of Nicole from Gluten Free on a Shoestring. Her recipes guided me on my first nervous steps of gluten free cooking all those years ago and for a long time, her flour blends have been my default. Her blend for mock better batter style flour is still my favourite – even if my version of it is tweaked ever so slightly (I skip the brown rice flour and use sorghum flour instead). So when I refer to gluten free flour in my recipes you can know this is what I’m using. It comes with xanthan gum already included and it’s incredibly easy to make in large batches so you can have a jar of flour just there and ready to use. As a general rule you should be (mostly) fine subbing in your favourite GF flour blend instead, even if its shop bought, but if you choose to do so, be prepared to have to be a little more flexible with the rest of the recipe. Different flour blends might need a little more, or less liquid and always check to see if you need to add your own xanthan gum. But back to pasta. My big tip for this recipe? Make a double batch and freeze half of it for an unbelievably quick dinner that’ll remind you of those heady days when we could actually eat in a restaurant. To freeze, lay out your ravioli on a lined baking tray making sure they’re not touching, and place in the freezer. Once solid simply tip into a freezer safe bag, seal, and store till needed. Cooking instructions are the same as below, it just might take slightly longer. Enjoy! Makes: Serves 4 Ingredients For the Pasta Dough: 275g Gluten Free Flour* 70g Chickpea Flour 1 tsp Salt 1/4 tsp White Pepper 1 Tbsp Olive Oil 125ml Aquafaba** 125ml Hot Water For the Cashew Ricotta: 300g Cashews, soaked overnight 125ml Plant based Milk 1 1/2 Tbsp Lemon Juice 1 1/2 Tbsp White Wine Vinegar 2 Tbsp Nutritional Yeast 1 tsp Garlic Powder 1 tsp Onion Powder Salt to taste For the Beetroot Filling: 550g Cooked Beetroot 200g Cashew Ricotta 1/4 cup Nutritional Yeast 2 Tbsp Mint leaves, finely chopped 1/2 tsp Nutmeg Salt & Pepper to taste For the Butternut Squash Filling: 600g Butternut Squash, peeled & roughly chopped 250g Cashew Ricotta 3 Tbsp Sage Leaves, chopped 1/4 tsp Nutmeg 1/4 tsp Chilli Flakes Salt & pepper to taste To Serve: 115g Vegan Butter Handful of Walnuts, roughly chopped 1/4 cup Sage leaves 1/4 cup Nutritional Yeast 1/4 tsp Chilli Flakes Salt & Black Pepper to taste Directions First things first, pick your filling. The ingredients given will fill one batch of pasta so either pick one or do both but half the amounts. To make the pasta: Sift your dry ingredients into a bowl. Chickpea flour can be incredibly lumpy and the last thing you want to find in your pasta is lumps of unmixed chickpea flour. I used a standmixer with the dough hook attachment for the next bit but you can do this by hand if you’re patient and feeling strong. Pour the liquid ingredients into a well in the centre and kneed until smooth. When ready, a good pasta dough should be firm but not at all sticky. You should be able to kneed it with your hands and still have clean hands afterwards. If it’s too sticky then add a little more flour, no more than a tablespoon at a time, and continue kneading until the texture is just right. The dough can be used straight away or wrapped very tightly in cling film and placed into a fridge for up to 2 days. Making the Cashew Ricotta: This batch is a development from the version in my lasagne soup but the method is the same. If you prefer my old version then feel free to use that instead. Once the cashews are soaked, they should be soft and mailable to the touch, drain well and placed to a blender jug. Add the rest of the ingredients and blend until smooth and creamy. It’s ready, place until the fridge until needed. You may not need all of it for this recipe but anything you don’t need will be great on toast! To make the beetroot filling: Want to know a secret? When I’m doing this I don’t bother peeling the beetroot. If buying them raw they should be well scrubbed before cooking but I’ve never seen the point in peeling them when they’re about to go in the blender. Top and tail the beetroot before throwing the in blender with rest of the filling ingredients apart from the mint. Blend until smooth and stir through the mint leaves. Taste and season to taste, each batch of beetroot will be different so don’t be afraid to keep tasting till you get it right. To make the butternut squash filling: Preheat the heat to 220 degrees (200 Fan/435 F). Toss the squash in a little oil and season lightly before roasting for 45 min – 1 hour, or until soft and caramelised around the edges. Mash the squash with a fork or potato masher (I’m not a fan of using a blender for this one as I prefer the more interesting texture). Add the rest of the filling ingredients and stir well. Taste and season as needed. Forming the Ravioli: Before starting make sure you have a few basic items to hand; a rolling pin, biscuit cutter (I use this to cut out my ravioli), lined baking tray, damp tea towel, and a fork. I like to separate the pasta dough into 4 equal sized portions when rolling out as it just makes everything a lot easier to handle. Make sure you keep the rest of your dough firmly wrapped into cling film while you work to stop the dough drying out. Place your dough onto a very lightly floured surface and roll the dough until its about 2mm thin and slightly transparent. To make sure the dough doesn’t stick to the work surface, turn and flip regularly, adding more flour as needed. When the dough becomes too large to easily turn without tearing, don’t be afraid to use the rolling pin to help. When rolled out, cut out as many shapes as possible with the biscuit cutter. Cover the shapes with the damp tea towel and repeat with the rest of the dough. Here we come to one of the best parts of working with GF dough – if you have any offcuts, don’t throw them away. Knead them back into a smooth ball of dough, and keep rolling and cutting until you’ve used all the dough – no waste here! I like to put my filling into a piping bag for this next step but a steady hand and a spoon will work just as well. Line up half of your pasta shapes on the workbench and place about half a tablespoon of filling in the middle of each. Brush the edges with a little water using your finger before covering with a second piece of dough. Carefully press down, removing any air from inside and sealing using a little pressure around the edges. Lightly crimp around the edges with the fork before placing on the lined baking tray – repeat until all the pasta dough has been formed into ravioli. To cook, bring a large pan of water up to a boil and place the butter into a wide frying pan. Once the butter is melted add the sage and walnuts. Cook, stirring occationally, until the walnuts are toasted and the sage leaves are crispy. Stir in the rest of the ingrediants and season to taste. Meanwhile, place the ravioli into the simmering water and cook until the ravioli floats – fresh pasta doesn’t normally take more than 2-3 minutes. Gently, drain well and serve with a drizzle of the sage and walnut butter. Enjoy! Notes * Check to see if your blend contains xanthan gum. If it doesn’t then about 8g will work well here. ** Tinned aquafaba should be reduced before using. Simmer in a pan until reduced by a third and the liquid is thick and silky. Allergy Notes; This recipe is vegan, gluten free and soy free but not nut free. If nuts are an allergen for you then substitute the cashew ricotta with tofu ricotta and skip the walnuts for a tasty sage butter.

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