Risotto is one of those comforting recipes that can seem so unapproachable when served in a restaurant but it’s really not! The secret to a traditional risotto is hot stock, and stirring – never stop stirring. it can be an extremely soothing way to end a stressful day to stand at your hob and gradually nurse a risotto to life. On the other hand, if you don’t have the time or inclination to stand there, constantly stirring, then just leave it to your pressure cooker. Seriously, with very little work you can have dinner ready in 15 to 20 minutes by just leaving the risotto to your pressure cooker. This…
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Crunchy Chickpea ‘Tuna’ Salad (Vegan & Gluten Free)
Before I went vegan, tuna sandwiches were a big favourite of mine. Never home made, these shop bought sandwiches were my go to choice whenever I didn’t have to see anyone too soon afterwards – not wanting to subject anyone to my fishy/onion breath! This vegan version of one of my favourite snack, has a surprisingly similar texture from the chickpeas (just go with me on this – you won’t believe me till you try it!), and such a similar taste from the seasonings. It’ll only take 10 minutes to make and, while it works better if made the night before so the flavours can meld, you can eat it…
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Cauliflower Pakoras with Glasgow Pakora Sauce
Taking a picture of this one was a little tricky – mainly because Kenny kept eating them! He’s a Glasgow boy and Glasgow has vibrant community of people from India. This has fed into a strong tradition of Indian food that has developed almost separately from the rest of the UK. Now that we live in London, Kenny misses so many Indian dishes that you just can’t get down here, most of all Pakora Sauce! Traditionally, pakora batter is made from Chickpea flour so is both gluten free and vegan. The challenge was to remake Kenny’s favourite Pakora sauce so that it was both vegan and tasted the same. We…
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Vegan Shakshouka (with no tofu in sight!)
Shakshouka is one of those classic regional dishes that has as many different versions as it does regions who lay claim to it. A rich, spicy, tomato sauce with poached eggs, and plenty of bread for dipping. Traditionally it’s most commonly used for breakfast (and a great hangover cure!) but it works wonderfully for any time of day and we always used to love it for dinner. It’s one of those meals that made taking that final step towards being vegan and giving up eggs quite hard, so today I wanted to have a go at tackling a vegan shakshouka. There have been plenty of attempts to veganise this dish…
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Pad Kee Mao (or, Thai Drunken Noodles)
A few years ago, I went on holiday to Thailand with my sister and mother. It remains one of my favourite holidays and when we came home my brother asked about my favourite part. I told him about all the brilliant food, the wonderful street food stalls and the restaurants that appeared at night. Ever since then I have tried to recreate some of the flavours we had then and this, this is the closest I’ve come in a long time. There are a number of stories of how drunken noodles got their name. Some claim it’s because they’re meant to be so hot they’ll make you feel drunk, others…
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Garlic Pickle
I know, this one is a little left field as it’s not a meal but more an accompaniment but trust me on this. If you’re one of those people who just can’t get enough of garlic then you’ll love this. Heavilly spiced and the perfect partner to a curry, a sandwich, or even a simple salad – this can liven up any dish. I’ve even been experimenting with using this in dishes as a base ingredient – I’ll let you know how those experiments go! So go for it, if you’re still social distancing then now is the perfect time to really indulge that garlic craving! Makes: 500ml Jar Ingredients…
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Fragrant Coconut Soup with Black Pepper Sweet Potato
I want to be completely up front here – the Black Pepper Sweet Potato in this dish is completely inspired by the Black Pepper Tofu in Yotam Ottolenghi’s brilliant book Plenty (you can find the recipe on his site here)- go buy it, read it and cook many tasty things. We weren’t able to make the original dish as written for a number of reasons but mainly because Kenny hates tofu with a passion, and I was trying to completely avoid soy at the time. Instead I’ve gradually built it out to work with sweet potatoes. The coconut soup then grew from this as I wanted something that would counterbalance…
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Mushroom and Kale Stroganoff
I’m a huge fan of mushrooms, Kenny hates them but that just means there’s more for me. They’re the perfect star for a stroganoff with their bold, meaty flavours. I love this dish so much – its so easy and quick to pull together that it works well for a quick lunch or even a dinner when you want something quick, satisfying and oh so tasty. There are two key ingredients to this dish, mushroom ketchup and vegan sour cream. Mushroom Ketchup started out for me as an ideal vegan pantry replacement for Worcestershire sauce as it offers a similar depth in flavour but without the anchovies. While I am…
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Buckwheat Crepes
I’m just going to leave this picture here for you to drool over. Think about it, don’t you just love pancakes, maybe drizzled with maple syrup and some fruit? Sometimes there’s a good side to social distancing, you’ve got nowhere to be so why not have a gentle start this weekend, make some pancakes in your PJs, and watch the day begin with a full belly and a cup of tea. These pancakes are vegan, gluten free, and allergy safe. They’re also incredibly easy – the batter likes to sit for a little while before cooking so take the time to make yourself a cup of tea and wake up…
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Vegan Store Cupboard Paella
There are days when I want dinner to remind me of summer and at the moment it feels like we’re almost there with the glorious weather we’ve been having. Paella is perfect for this, it has a warm fragrant burst of flavours that sing of Spain, sun, and long lazy afternoons with friends. My version is ideal for the moment when you might not be able to get to the shops and need to use the odds and ends in the cupboard. I’ve also made sure everything in this can be either frozen or shelf stable so you;re less reliant on leaving the house. This dish is warm, bright and…
