Category: Vegan

Asian flavors · Dairy-free · Dessert · Do-ahead · Fruit · Gluten Free · Vegan

Fruit salad with ginger-lemongrass syrup

Belinda

This zesty syrup makes a great base for poached or fresh fruit

Serves 4-6

Ginger-lemongrass syrup
3/4 cup canned lychee juice or water
1 tsp minced fresh ginger
1 tbsp fresh lime juice
6 stalks lemongrass, cut into 1″ lengths and bruised with a large knife
1/4 cup (tightly packed) grated palm sugar or brown sugar

Fruit salad
1 20 oz (565g) can lychees
1 punnet (12 oz, or 1.5 cups) strawberries, hulled and halved, if large
4 just-ripe kiwifruit, peeled and sliced
Optional- 2 whole mango, cubed

Over medium heat, simmer the ingredients for “Ginger-lemongrass Syrup” in a covered pot for 10 minutes. Allow to come to room temperature and cool. Keep in the fridge.

Prior to serving, cut the fruit and pour the syrup over the fruit. Done!

Recipe Notes
The fruits you choose are up to you but the four in this recipe are my preferred.

Baking · Dairy-free · Do-ahead · Gluten Free · Vegan

Rhubarb, cardamom and pistachio tart

Belinda

This vegan recipe comes from the wonderful Meera Sodha who writes recipes for the Guardian.

“I don’t believe in rules when it comes to the pairing of ingredients, but I removed rhubarb from its lifelong partner in crime, custard, with caution.

Rhubarb by character is bright, fierce, acerbic and usually not for the faint-hearted unless tamed by something soothing. In custard’s place, I’ve used its more sophisticated cousin, frangipane, a sweet cream made using almonds, pistachios and oat milk flavored with zesty orange and cardamom. (Though, if this makes you feel uncomfortable, and because there are no rules, you could always serve this tart with custard instead.)”

Makes 1 x 9 inch (23cm) tart

For the pastry
8oz (250g) plain flour
7 tbsp (105ml) light olive oil
1.5oz (40g) caster sugar
1 pinch sea salt
3 tbsp cold water

For the filling
7 tbsp (105ml) light olive oil
4.5oz (125g) caster sugar, plus 1 tbsp extra to finish
2oz (50g) cornflour
7oz (200g) ground pistachios
1.5oz (40g) ground almonds
4 tbsp (60ml) oat milk
1½ tsp cardamom powder
Zest of 1 orange
8oz (250g) forced rhubarb or just the top tender parts

To make the pastry, put the flour, oil, sugar and salt in a bowl, and mix with a clean hand. Add the water, mix again, then knead for three minutes. Return to the bowl and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Heat the oven to 350F/200C (180C fan)/gas 6.
After the pastry has rested, place it between two sheets of baking paper and flatten it gently. Roll to about 3mm thick and just larger than a loose-bottomed 9″ (23cm) tart tin.
Peel off the top sheet of baking paper, place a hand under the bottom sheet and flip the pastry on top of the tart tin – don’t worry if it cracks or breaks. Reserve the baking paper. Press the pastry into place, cut away the overhang and use the offcuts to fill any cracks.
Prick the base all over with a fork, crumple up one of the sheets of baking paper, unravel it and put it in the tart case. Fill with baking beans (or uncooked rice) and bake for about 25 minutes, until the pastry is crisp and lightly golden.
Remove, and leave to cool.

To make the filling, mix everything except the rhubarb in a bowl until well combined, then set aside.

When the tart case is cool, lift out the baking paper and beans, and scrape the frangipane mix into the tart shell. Even it out and smooth it down with the back of a spoon.
Now decorate as you wish: you could cut the rhubarb to size to lay stripes across the tart, or cut it into shorter lengths and tessellate. I like to do mine as in the photograph above by neatly arranging 1/4″ (6cm) pieces of rhubarb at the centre of the tart, then filling the gaps around it with smaller pieces, cut to size.

Sprinkle the extra tablespoon of sugar all over the top of the rhubarb, then bake for 40-45 minutes, until the filling is starting to bronze slightly and the rhubarb is tender. Leave to cool a little before cutting and serving.

Appetizer Vegetarian · Dairy-free · Gluten Free · Vegan · Vegetable sides · Vegetable-related · Whole30 compliant

Roasted butternut squash and red onion with tahini, pine nuts and za’atar

Belinda

I made this recipe tonight, adapted from Yotam Ottolenghi’s recipe and it’s absolutely wonderful with such interesting flavors. Well worth trying!

Serves 4-6

1 large butternut squash (around 2lbs worth), cut into 1/2″ by 3″ wedges
2 red onions, cut into eighths or 1/2″ wedges
6 tbsp plus 1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3.5 tbsp tahini, or more as needed
3 tbsp water, or more as needed
1.5 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 large clove garlic, minced
2oz raw pine nuts
1 tbsp za’atar
3 tbsp coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Flaky sea salt, for sprinkling

Warm a serving platter.
Position a baking rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 425 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine the squash and onion and 6 tablespoons of the olive oil, 1 tbsp  Kosher salt, 6 good twists of the pepper grinder, and toss to combine.
Spread the vegetables out on a large, rimmed baking sheet and roast for about 35-40 minutes, or until the vegetables have taken on some color and are cooked through with a little char. (Keep an eye on the onion: If it starts to burn before the squash is cooked, you may need to remove it before the squash.

Remove from the oven.

While the vegetables are roasting, in a small bowl, whisk together the tahini, water, lemon juice, garlic and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt until the sauce is the consistency of honey. You might need to add more water or tahini, depending on the consistency.

In a small skillet over medium-low heat, heat the remaining 1 teaspoon of oil until shimmering. Add the pine nuts and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and cook, stirring often until the nuts are golden brown, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and transfer to a small plate to cool. Keep the oil too

To serve, spread the vegetables out on the warmed serving platter and drizzle with the tahini sauce. Sprinkle the pine nuts and their oil on top, and garnish with the za’atar and parsley. Sprinkle with a little flaky sea salt and serve.

Asian flavors · Curry · Dairy-free · Gluten Free · Vegan

Curry cauliflower rice

Belinda

A vegan gluten-free weeknight dinner of fluffy, textured cauliflower with warm spices from chef Sophia Roe. For distinct bits of cauliflower that won’t turn into mush once they’re cooked, don’t overcrowd the bowl of your food processor. Doctor up your cauliflower rice with toasted pine nuts or almonds, dates or dried currants, lots of fresh herbs, unsweetened coconut flakes, or chopped fresh chili.

Recipe from Bon Appetite Magazine

Serves 4

1 medium head of cauliflower (about 2¼ lb.), broken into florets
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium red bell pepper, finely chopped
1 shallot, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely grated
1 Tbsp. curry powder
1 tsp. ground turmeric
½ tsp. ground coriander
¾ cup canned unsweetened coconut milk
1 tsp. finely grated lime zest
1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
1 tsp. coconut sugar or granulated sugar
Kosher salt
¼ cup golden raisins
¼ cup coarsely chopped cilantro
¼ cup unsalted, roasted pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
¼ cup coarsely chopped fresh mint, plus torn leaves for serving
Plain whole-milk Greek yogurt and lime wedges (for serving; optional)

Working in 2 batches, pulse the cauliflower in a food processor until the pieces are about the size of rice (you don’t want to over-process; err on the large side). Transfer the cauliflower to a medium bowl lined with a kitchen towel to absorb any extra moisture.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add the bell pepper, shallot, and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until the shallot and garlic are softened slightly, about 3 minutes. Sprinkle in the curry powder, turmeric, and coriander and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Add coconut milk, lime zest, lime juice, and coconut sugar; season with salt.
Reduce heat to medium-low; cook, stirring, until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes.
Add the cauliflower and raisins; cook, tossing occasionally, until cauliflower is just tender, about 3 minutes. Taste and season with more salt if needed.

Add the cilantro, pumpkin seeds, and ¼ cup mint to cauliflower rice and toss to combine. Divide among bowls; top with a dollop of yogurt if using and torn mint.
Serve with lime wedges for squeezing over if desired.

Dairy-free · Gluten Free · Holiday Food · Salad · Vegan · Vegetable-related

Shaved carrots, charred dates and blood orange salad

Belinda

Crunchy tender carrots tossed in a tangy-sweet dressing meet soft and blackened dates for literally everything you want in one bite.

1½ lb. purple or orange carrots, trimmed, scrubbed, shaved on a mandoline or very thinly sliced into rounds
Kosher salt
3 large blood oranges
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
2 Tbsp. unseasoned rice vinegar
10 Medjool dates
Tarragon leaves (for serving)
Toasted pepitas or pistachios to scatter

Place carrots in a large bowl, season generously with salt, and toss to coat. Let sit at least 10 minutes and up to 1 hour to soften slightly. Pour off any liquid that collects in bowl.

Dressing: Meanwhile, cut peel and white pith from oranges. Working your way around, cut citrus flesh off cores in lobes. Cut each lobe into large pieces and place in a medium bowl; set aside. Squeeze cores over a small bowl to extract any juice (you want 2 Tbsp.; discard or drink any extra). Discard cores. Whisk oil, lime juice, and vinegar into orange juice; season with salt.

Pour half of dressing over the carrots and let sit, tossing occasionally, until ready to serve. Set remaining dressing aside.

Heat a small skillet, preferably cast iron, over medium-high. Cook the dates, turning occasionally, until blackened in spots, about 3 minutes. Let cool; remove pits.

Just before serving, pour off excess liquid from carrots and discard (carrots will have softened by now). Drizzle reserved dressing over carrots and toss to coat. Tear dates into bite-size pieces; add to carrots along with the reserved oranges and toss to combine. Taste and season with more salt if needed. Top with tarragon and toasted nuts if using.

Do Ahead: Carrots can be tossed with dressing 1 day ahead. Cover and chill carrots and remaining dressing separately.

Dairy-free · Do-ahead · Gluten Free · Holiday Food · Vegan · Vegetable sides · Vegetable-related

Parsnip Confit with Pickled Currants

Belinda

Recipe from Bon Appetite magazine

Welcome to root vegetables reinvented. Sturdy parsnips soften in a warm bath of olive oil, then get seared and bejeweled with pickled currants. It’s hard to know if a parsnip will have a woody core, but generally speaking, small ones are tender throughout. Worst case scenario? Trim the tough centers before cooking.

2½ lb. parsnips, peeled, halved lengthwise, quartered if large, woody core removed if large
2 heads of garlic, halved crosswise
1 4″ piece ginger, scrubbed, sliced lengthwise into ⅛”-thick planks
3 large sprigs rosemary, divided, plus 1 Tbsp. rosemary leaves for serving
1 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. kosher salt
3 cups extra-virgin olive oil
½ cup dried currants
¼ cup sugar
½ cup plus 1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
2 tsp. Aleppo-style pepper

Preheat oven to 300°. Combine parsnips, garlic, ginger, 2 rosemary sprigs, and 1 Tbsp. salt in a rectangular 3-qt. baking dish; turn garlic cut side down. Pour oil over.

Roast 35 minutes. Remove from oven; turn parsnips over. Return to oven and roast until a knife easily slides through flesh, 30–40 minutes. Let cool slightly.

Meanwhile, bring currants, sugar, ½ cup vinegar, remaining 1 tsp. salt, remaining rosemary sprig, and ¼ cup water to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Reduce heat and simmer, swirling pan occasionally, until reduced by three-quarters. Transfer to a small bowl and stir in Aleppo-style pepper, 1 Tbsp. parsnip confit oil, and remaining 1 Tbsp. vinegar.

Remove parsnips from oil, letting excess drip back into baking dish, and place on a rimmed baking sheet. Pluck out garlic and set aside for serving. Strain oil through a fine-mesh sieve into an airtight container; discard aromatics. Cover and reserve oil for another use.

Heat a large skillet, preferably cast iron, over medium-high. Working in batches, arrange parsnips in skillet in a single layer and cook, turning occasionally, until golden brown and charred in spots, about 4 minutes per batch. (Alternatively, you can broil them, turning halfway through, 10–12 minutes.)

Transfer to a platter and spoon currant sauce over. Top with reserved garlic and rosemary leaves.

Do Ahead: Parsnips can be cooked in oil 1 week ahead. Let cool completely; cover and chill. Reheat in oil in a 300° oven before browning. Currants can be pickled 1 week ahead; cover and chill.

Asian flavors · Curry · Dairy-free · Gluten Free · lentils · Vegan

Sweet potato and lentil curry

Belinda

A vibrant, low-calorie and vegan dinner, made with sweet potatoes, red split lentils, coconut milk and plenty of spices.
Recipe from Olive Magazine

2 tsp vegetable oil
1 large red onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, crushed
A thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger , finely grated
6 fresh or dried curry leaves (optional)
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground turmeric
2 medium (about 500g) sweet potatoes, cut into chunks
3oz (75 g) red split lentils
14 oz (400 ml) low-fat coconut milk
14 oz (400 ml) vegetable stock
a handful of cilantro leaves
1 lime, wedged

Heat the oil in a large pan over a medium heat and cook three-quarters of the onion with a pinch of salt for 10 minutes, stirring regularly, until softened. Add the garlic, ginger and curry leaves, if using, and cook for 2 minutes.

Add in the spices and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the sweet potato and lentils, then add the coconut milk and stock. Stir well, bring to the boil, then simmer for 15-20 minutes, adding a splash of water if it’s getting dry, until the potatoes and lentils are cooked through. Season.

Serve in bowls with coriander and the remaining onion on top, with lime wedges for squeezing over.

Dairy-free · Gluten Free · Vegan · Vegetable sides

Catalan-style Spinach with Pine Nuts and Raisins

Belinda

This is a lovely recipe from Jose Andres

Serves 4

2 tbsp Spanish extra-virgin olive oil
1 golden delicious apple, peeled, cored, and cut into ¼-inch cubes
4 tbsp pine nuts
4 tbsp seedless dark raisins
10 oz baby spinach, washed and whole
Salt to taste

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over a high flame. When the oil is very hot, add the apple cubes and sauté until slightly browned, about a minute. Add the pine nuts to the skillet and cook another 20 seconds until slightly browned. Keep the pan moving so the ingredients don’t burn.

Add the raisins and sauté another 20 seconds. Add the spinach and sauté briefly until the spinach starts to wilt. Remove from the heat; the spinach will continue to wilt off the flame. Add salt to taste and serve immediately.

Asian flavors · Dairy-free · Gluten Free · Vegan · Vegetable sides

Miso butter onions

Belinda

These onions are a revelation, and the very definition of low effort/high impact.

Two things are vital, though: the roasting tray must be big enough to fit 16 onion halves (if not, roast fewer, decreasing other ingredients proportionally) and these must be basted well, so they remain moist. Serve spooned over toast, mashed potatoes or rice, or with roast chicken.

Serves 6 as a side

8 medium onions, skinned (1.2kg)
4oz (100g) unsalted butter, melted
4oz (100g) white miso paste

Heat the oven to 500F/gas 10. Halve the onions lengthways, trim tops and a little off the bottom (you want the halves held together at the base).

Whisk the butter, miso and 2.1 pints (one litre) of warm water until fully combined.

Space apart the onion halves, cut side down, in a 16″ (40cm) x 11″ (28cm) high-sided baking tray or dish.
Pour over the miso water, cover tightly with foil, bake for 35 minutes, then remove foil and turn onions cut side up.
Baste well and cook, uncovered, for 45 minutes, basting every 10 minutes, until very soft and deep brown.

Carefully transfer to a platter, pouring the sauce over. Serve at once.

Appetizer Vegetarian · Dairy-free · Salad · Vegan

Tropical fusion salad with spicy tortilla ribbons

Belinda

Recipe from magazine “Taste of Home”
Such a lovely combination on a hot summers day

2 cups cubed peeled papaya
1 can (15 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 medium ripe avocado, peeled and cubed
1 cup frozen corn, thawed or fresh corn, shucked
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
1/4 cup orange juice
2 Serrano peppers, seeded and chopped (I only use 1)
2 tbsp lime juice
1 tbsp cider vinegar
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp ground ancho chili pepper, divided
1/4 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
2 corn tortillas (6 inches), cut into 1/4-inch strips
Cooking spray

Preheat the oven to 350°.
In a large bowl, combine the papaya, beans, avocado, corn, raisins, cilantro, orange juice, peppers, lime juice, vinegar, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon chili pepper, sugar and salt.
Place the tortilla strips on a greased baking sheet; spritz with cooking spray. Sprinkle with remaining chili pepper. Bake 8-10 minutes or until crisp. Top salad with tortilla strips.