onlygrans

So, you're thinking about joining the dark side, eh?  Thinking about where your food comes from and what you're consuming is a really positive step - whilst veganism is vogue at the moment, there are plenty of people who see it as a group of malnourished hippies who try to convert anyone and everyone who will listen.  I would say that we can all make changes to our lives to reduce our carbon footprint, whether it be reduce the amount of dairy we consume or deciding to walk instead of taking the car, cutting down on holidays involving a plane, buying clothes second-hand - as long as you think about the choices you make and try to be mindful then you are definitely on the right track.

I won't harp on about the positives of veganism, but we do have five easy recipes for a weekly vegan meal that won't break the bank or take hours to prepare.

1. PITTA PIZZAS

You will need:

- Wholemeal pitta bread

- Tomato paste / passata

- Herbs, if you fancy?  Could also get some chilli involved if you're feeling brave.

- Toppings of your choice (although I would recommend Applewood's vegan smoked cheese as it melts just like the dairy version!)

What you need to do:

1. Toast your pitta lightly, so that it doesn't bend under the weight of the toppings.

2. Smother with a good layer of tomato paste / passata and sprinkle some herbs to make that a saucy base.

3. Chop and add your toppings (I would advise putting the cheese over the top of everything to act as a glue so that they don't fall off).

4. Cook in the oven - around 170 degrees - for around 5-10 mins.  You want the cheese to have melted and the sides to look a bit crusty.

5. Take out and serve with the condiments of your choice OR put into a lunch box once cooled for cold pizza meal prep.

2. SHEPHERD-LESS PIE

For the mash topping, you will need:

- Potatoes (I would say around 5 big ones if you have a big enough casserole dish)

- Vegan spread

- Milk alternative of your choice

- Salt & pepper

- Dijon mustard

For the meaty middle, you will need:

- A pack of meat alternative mince (the Quorn mince has egg white in, so if you can find a suitable alternative then that's lush, however I know for some this is the tastiest option so you can class this as a vegetarian version if you'd prefer)

- Vegan gravy granules - enough to make a thick 400ml gravy (most of the onion gravy versions are actually vegan, but just double check the ingredients to make sure)

- Mushroom ketchup (now this isn't essential, but acts like the Worchestershire sauce)

- Peas!  All the peas!  And any veg you want to put in, really (we love olives and mushrooms, sometimes lentils to thicken it all up)

- Two large cloves of garlic, finely chopped

- One big onion, either red or white - whatever tickles your vegan pickle

- Herbs - love rosemary, thyme, pepper - even a cheeky half of a stock cube

What you need to do:

MASH ME, BABY

1. Skin, chop and boil the potatoes with a little bit of salt in the water.  You want them soft enough to stab with a knife without resistance.

2. Once soft enough, drain the water and add in a large knob of butter (the more, the better!).

3. Commence the masher whilst adding in some salt & pepper, a little dash of milk and a spoonful of the dijon mustard for taste.

4. Keep mashing until it's all nice and creamy.  Have a cheeky spoonful to check the taste.

MEAT ME, BABY

1. Chop the veggies, including the garlic and onion.  Put some oil in a frying pan and add the garlic and onion.

2. Once the garlic and onion are partially cooked, add in the mince - if it is frozen, allow it some time to cook before adding in the gravy - and mix up the 400ml of gravy.  

3. Add in a teaspoon of the mushroom ketchup (optional) and include a mix of the herbs / salt n pepper.

4. Allow to simmer for around 10 mins on a low heat for the juices to get flowing, but don't let it gp crusty on the bottom (it might need a little dash of water).

MIX IT TOGETHER

Once everything is cooked, you can add the mince mix at the bottom of your casserole dish and plop the mash mix on top.  For some reason, I score the mash with the back of a fork to create waves - I think this is something my mum and grandma do, so I follow suit.  It makes the peaks crispy, though, which I really appreciate.

Pop it into the oven, at 190 degrees, for around 25-30 mins, but do keep checking on it occasionally.  It might need some more time, but you'll know when it is done as the peaks will be crispy and some of the gravy will be trying to escape to the top.

3. CHEEKY PESTO PASTA

You will need:

- A blender, preferably with a top to prevent any pesto-related accidents

- Nuts of your choice, but I would recommend a handful of cashews

- Spinach, or other leafy greens you have in your fridge

- Olive oil (you might need quite a health dash of this...make sure you have reserves)

- Tofu / vegan cheese alternative (this just adds some bulk to it)

- 1-2 cloves of garlic (depends how much you want to deter vampires)

- Salt & pepper to taste

- Spaghetti (I have no idea how to measure the amount, this is totally on you.  I always over-estimate and then have to have spaghetti for the next three meals)

- Omega-3 seeds

- Dried inactive yeast (crunchy, cheesy topping and extra vitamin B-12!)

What you need to do:

1. Get your blender out (not a euphemism) and put in a healthy amount of spinach / leaves, nuts, a little bit of the tofu / cheese, the garlic cloves and douse in olive oil.

2. Depending on if you want a bit of chunk or not in your pesto, blend until pretty smooth.  If it is a little thick, then this might mean you need a bit more olive oil to get things going.

3. Get the spaghetti on (other types of pasta are available, spaghetti is just fun to eat) with a pinch of salt in the water.  It should tell you on the packet how long you need to cook, but it's usually 5-7mins.

4. Drain the spaghetti, give it a little dash of olive oil for good measure, and then mix in the pesto.  Add on a good layer of the dried yeast and a handful of seeds for texture.

5. Find out that you've made too much spaghetti, dig out some Tupperware boxes and proceed to eat for the next three meals.  Attempt to get the green tinge out of the used Tupperwares and completely fail, staining them forever.

4. BUFFALO CAULIFLOWER & POUTINE

For the buffalo cauliflower, you will need:

- A large cauliflower (I, personally, think that cauliflowers are quite underrated vegetables so they need a bit more lovin')

- Hot sauce of your choice (the lush Welshman loves Frank's Hot Sauce so much that we have a 5 litre bottle in the cupboard that is already half-drunk?  Eaten?  Not too sure at this point)

- White flour (half a cup)

- Half a lime or lemon (a little squeeze to add a little *spice*)

- Paprika

- Garlic

- Cayenne pepper

- Half a cup of water

- Salt & pepper to taste

For the poutine, you will need:

- Half / full pack of curly fries, depending on how hungry you're feeling (yes, we cheat for this bit, but the ones from Aldi are amazing and I will stand by them until the end of time)

- A block of vegan cheese of your choosing.  Personally, I like the way that the Applewood melts but the taste of the Tesco orange jalapeno cheese is pretty lush.

- Vegan gravy granules (with a sprinkling of vegetable stock cube)

- Salt & pepper to taste

What you need to do:

CAULIFLOWER:

1. Chop your cauliflower into bite-sized chunks.  Mix together a healthy helping of hot sauce, half cup of water and flour, paprika, cayenne pepper, garlic - however much of everything you fancy, the lush Welshman suggests a teaspoon depending on how delicate your tastebuds are.

2. Put the cauliflower into the mix of firey goodness - covered, but not soaking.  Pre-heat your oven to 190 degrees, get some tin foil on your tray and plop those bad boys in for 15 mins.

3. During this time, you can make the round two of sauces - this will make it hot hot hot!  Use the same bowl (we're not washing up twice) and put another helping of your hot sauce of choice and a squeeze of the lime/lemon, salt and black pepper to taste (could even put some more chilli powder in, if you're as heat starved as us).

4. Once the timer is up, take our your cauliflower bites and plop them back into the hot sauce bowl.  Get them lathered up with some of the mix, then put them back onto the tray and into the oven for a further fifteen mins (perhaps more if you want them to be crispy).

POUTINE:

1. Get your curly fries in for however long the team at Aldi recommend.  Whilst they're cooking, grate the vegan cheese alternative.

2. Once the fries are almost ready, take them out and sprinkle in the cheese so that it melts over them.  Boil the kettle and get your gravy granules ready.

3. When the cheese has melted, take the curly fries out and serve.  Once in a bowl, drown them in gravy and season with salt, pepper, dried yeast extract, vinegar - whatever you're feeling.

5. CHEESE-LESSCAKE (this is a dessert, but daaaamn this is great)

You will need:

- Two tubs of vegan cream cheese

- 3/4 vegan double cream (either soya or oat works well with the consistency)

- 1/2 a lemon, juiced

- Tablespoon of vanilla extract

- Two tablespoons of agave syrup

- Biscoff biscuits - 3/4 of a pack so you can munch on the other 1/4 during the process

- Generous knob of vegan butter

- Vegan choc chips (if you're feeling fancy)

What you need to do:

1. Get the first half of the ingredients, dump them into a bowl and mix together with a whisk.  You're in here for the long haul so keep whisking until the mixture is stiff.  Once the mixture is done, pop it into the fridge to set.

2. While the middle is setting, get your biscuits in a bowl and crush them with the back of a rolling pin until they're quite fine.  Add in the melted butter and then mix together.  You might need some more butter, so keep this on the side just in case.  If you're feeling particularly boujee then add in some chocolate chips.

3. Take out the vessel for your cheesecake and spoon the buttery biscuit base into it.  Pat down until neat with the back of a spoon.

4. Take out your middle and pour into the vessel, on top of the biscuits and put back into the fridge to set. 

5. Decide whether or not you need a topping - they're lovely as they are, but if you're a chocolate monster like I am, then you can make a chocolate sauce by mixing half a carton of coconut cream with a bar of vegan chocolate (melt in the microwave, no one will know).  Spoon sparingly onto the top once they have set and pop back into the fridge to finish them off (or not - eat whenever you fancy).