Vegan food

pea and cashew curry

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I made this delicious coconutty Sri Lankan curry for two of my friends that had been blown away by it on their holiday there and it sounded so good I had to make it. It’s mostly stored cupboard which I love and packed with lots of delicious flavours like ground fennel, garam masala and cumin. I serve it with my Dal recipe, chapatis which I buy frozen from the Indian frozen food section in the supermarket or my local Indian shop. I also sprinkled it with curry leaves fried till they were crispy, my ginger fries and chopped fresh coriander leaves on top to serve.

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panpapato

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this rich chocolate coated Italian cake tastes so deliciously Italian, it’s not that sweet and packed with cocoa, honey, spices and almonds. It’s traditionally served in the winter and at Christmas in Italy with a glass of wine or beer and it’s perfect after dinner with an aprés dinner cheese course. It can also be entirely plant based, as it says in my recipe notes. I find it tastes even nicer after a few days when all those delicious spicy flavours have matured.

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burger van inari sushi

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Dispite what I call them, these inari sushi are all plant based. I’m not a massive fan of fusion food, however in this case I think pumping up the flavours of Inari is a good idea because they can be a bit bland. I call them burger van inari (low brow meets high brow) because I make them with slow cooked caramelised onions that resemble the ones that I could smell wafting around hot dog stands and burger vans and always made me drool. I love onions and I love it when any recipe starts with them. These are great served as snackettes with drinks or with a tray of sashimi, sushi and one of my Japanese salads or sides (check the recipes out in the list of recipes)

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my big fat greek baked beans (gigantes plaki)

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I have always had a soft spot for these delicious Greek baked beans, they are easy to make, all plant based and excellent with warm flatbreads (check out my pizza dough recipe to make truly fresh flatbreads) and my creamy bean hummus (takes 5 minutes) with a crisp green salad. If you aren’t going down the vegan route then they are fantastic served with a big block of feta, some olives and warm flatbreads for a tasty mezze.

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soba and arame salad with soy

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This is the salad I eat when I am being really healthy. Arame seaweed is really good for you, it’s full of vitamins and antioxidants, it boosts the immune system, is anti-inflammatory and it’s full of iodine which can help regulate your hormones. It’s great for your hair, skin and nails too and can help flush toxins out of your system. I serve this on its own or with tuna sashimi that has been seared quickly on all sides in a pan with a little oil then sliced like sashimi.

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chocolate truffle brownies (I can’t believe they are vegan)

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These brownies are squidgy and very chocolatey… but not too sweet, add more of the coconut sugar if you prefer them sweeter, and the prunes add that extra squidge factor. I tried them at a dinner party with fresh raspberries and they were a big hit. My friend Vicki thought they were very truffley, so I changed the name.

They are also great with vegan vanilla ice cream or just as a dessert with coffee. You could also press a half walnut or pecan into the top if you fancy instead of the chocolate drops before you bake them. They are perfect if you are following a dairy free diet and fancy a bit of the old chocolate cake.

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vegan chilli paneer

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This recipe is really easy, dairy free, gluten free and vegan. Vegan food lends itself really well to the flavours of middle eastern and Indian ingredients because it peps up foods like tofu which has little flavour and adds va va voom. Originally this recipe was created by an Indian Chinese chef and has the components of both food cultures combined. I converted this recipe from a Madhur Jaffrey recipe and I replaced the paneer cheese with a very firm tofu by The Tofoo Co, which is available in supermarkets. It’s the perfect paneer replacement. I serve this with hot chapatis, salad and pickles but you can serve it as a side with any of my other Indian recipes.
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pickled cucumber

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This delicate pickled cucumber is sweet crunchy and savoury and simply flavoured with dill. It’s a simple classic recipe that is super easy. I have always love dill pickles and pickled veg and always have them in my fridge to add to tartines, sandwiches and with cold boiled eggs, with humus on rye, poached salmon, tinned tuna, smoked salmon and cream cheese and in a potato salad. Do try them..although I love shop bought sweet pickled cucumber… these are just that bit more delicious and you can’t beat home made.

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quick pickled red cabbage

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This recipe makes the most of the crunchiness of a red cabbage and it’s natural pinky red colour that ends up a stunning and glamorous bright fuchsia. It really adds colour and crunch to salads, tortillas, tacos and sandwiches or with cheese. Perfect with humus on rye or in a burger. It can be made on the day you are going to use it and it is much much nicer than the shop bought version. Plus it’s super healthy as the vinegar is great for the digestion.

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