Category: Vegan

Lentil Bolognese

Serves 6

It is National Vegetarian Week and I’ve been trying to experiment with more meat-free meals and had come across references to a bolognese made with lentils rather than minced beef. The type of lentil seemed to vary from red, to puy to green. Personally I would have thought red lentils would make it too mushy, so I would suggest using puy or green (this is what I used).

I gave it a go and I have to say I enjoyed it. I’m not going to say that it was just like a beef bolognese but it was very tasty and it struck me that the sauce would also be good as an accompaniment to a piece of meat or fish instead of potatoes etc.

Whilst I won’t be trading in my normal bolognese I will definitely revisit this recipe and it is vegan, dairy-free and gluten-free, so perfect if you’re catering for a variety of dietary requirements.

• Ingredients:
• 2 tbsp oil
• 2 sticks of celery
• 1 onion
• 1 carrot
• 10 chestnut mushrooms
• 1 red pepper
• 1/2 leek
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 250g lentils (green/puy)
• 1 tbsp tomato purée
• 500g passata
• 500ml water
• 1 tbsp rosemary, finely chopped
• 2 bay leaves
• Salt and pepper

Step 1: Chop all of your vegetables into a fine dice (aim for the rough size of the lentils you are using).

Step 2: In a heavy bottomed pan, heat the oil and add the diced vegetables. Soften on a medium-low heat for 20-25 minutes.

Step 3: Add the rosemary and tomato purée and stir, cooking out the purée for a couple of minutes.

Step 4: Add the lentils, pastas, water and bay leaves, put a lid on and cook for about 30 minutes until the lentils are tender. Season to taste. Stir every five minutes or so, and add more water if necessary.

Serve with spaghetti or accompaniment of your choice.

Asian Noodle Peanut Salad

Serves 2

Noodles, check. Peanuts, check. Chilli, check. Vegetables, check. What more could you want? Meat or fish? Simply serve some on the side with this versatile dish.

This salad is quick to put together and the dressing makes it so delicious, you’re sure to go back for seconds. With a few tweaks it can be both gluten-free and/or vegan by using gluten-free soy sauce and leaving out the fish sauce and replacing the honey with caster sugar.

I could happily eat this salad on its own, but we often have it as an accompaniment to some Thai curry-inspired fish cakes (which, luck would have it, are the focus of the next blog!).

• Ingredients:

• For the dressing:
• 1 heaped tbsp crunchy peanut butter
• 1 tbsp runny honey (or caster sugar if required)
• 1 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
• 2 tbsp light soy sauce (gluten-free if required)
• 1 tsp fish sauce (optional – leave out for vegan/vegetarian)
• Juice of 1 lime
• 2 drops of sesame oil

• For the salad:
• 100g vermicelli rice noodles (or noodles of your choice)
• A variety of salad ingredients, e.g. sliced red pepper, carrot ribbons, cucumber ribbons, sliced spring onion, salad leaves
• Fresh herbs e.g. coriander

Step 1: Cook or soak the noodles as per the instructions on the packet. Drain and run cold water through them until they are cool.

Step 2: Combine all of the dressing ingredients in a large bowl. Mix thoroughly.

Step 3: Add the cold noodles and your chosen salad items to the dressing and toss to ensure everything is coated with the dressing.

I’ve also tried adding some fresh mango as part of the salad, which adds a lovely sweetness, so if you’re a fan of fruit in savoury dishes, why not give it a go!

Sweet Potato and Chickpea Curry

Serves 6

I’ve been sneakily trying to work more vegetarian recipes in to my husband’s diet, and this has become one of his favourites. It is so satisfying that I don’t think he realises he’s missed out on the meat! This recipe is actually vegan, gluten free and best of all, delicious. It is mild in heat but rich in spices and is pleasingly creamy, though lighter on calories due to the relatively small amount of coconut milk used.

Whilst this recipe serves 6, I will make a batch for the two of us and freeze two extra meals to enjoy later. I simply defrost in the fridge for 24 hours and gently reheat to serve.

I like to serve this with brown rice but it is also great as part of a thali (try it as a smaller portion with a daal, rice and a small side salad).

You will also find a version suitable for baby weaning on my website, here.

• Ingredients:
• 1 tbsp coconut oil (or oil of your choice)
• 2 onions, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, finely diced
• 2 inch ginger, peeled and diced
• 3 tsp cumin seeds (ground if you prefer)
• 1 tsp mustard seeds (ground if you prefer)
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 2 tsp garam masala
• 2 cloves
• 8 cardamom
• 2 pieces of cassia bark or cinnamon
• 2 small handfuls of curry leaves
• Small tin coconut milk (160ml)
• 300ml vegetable stock
• 3 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
• 2 tins of drained chickpeas
• Salt and pepper to taste

Step 1: Melt the coconut oil on a medium heat and add the diced onion, garlic and ginger. Soften for a couple of minutes and then add each of the spices, stirring to ensure they don’t burn.

Step 2: Add the small tin of coconut milk along with the vegetable stock (ensure you use a gluten free stock if you need to keep the curry suitable for those with a gluten intolerance/allergy).

Step 3: Add the cubed sweet potato and simmer until tender (this should take about 10 minutes).

Step 4: Five minutes before you are ready to serve the curry add the 2 tins of drained chickpeas to the pan, and heat through. Season as necessary (be aware that the stock you have used may well be salty enough).

This week I served it with some homegrown Swiss chard, roughly sliced and sweated in a little coconut oil with a crushed garlic clove, 1/4 tsp of dried chilli flakes, 1/2 tsp coriander seeds and 1/2 tsp of ground cumin seeds. Delicious.