Rum babas aka Savarine (Vegan)

Makes 12 cakes

Rum babas aka Savarine (Vegan)

Tricolore pasta bake (Vegan)

Makes 8 servings

Tomato and spinach pasta bake

Rich tomato and spinach pasta bake.
I’ve been making this dish since I was a student because it is easy to make with only a few ingredients; and it’s incredibly delicious.

My husband also loves this pasta bake and requests it regularly.
Good thing making this 5 layer pasta bake is no where near as time consuming as a 5 layer lasagne. When I am short for time and have dinner guests, I put all the layers together the day before, store it in the fridge and bake it on the day.

I love this dish because it’s so delicious without using overly processed ingredients and it doesn’t involve making time consuming pasta sauces.

I usually use tagliatelle pasta, but you can use any shape you like. Remember to season every layer with salt to bring out the flavours.
Simple, clean ingredients that come together beautifully! Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 500g pasta
• 1 onion (chopped)
• 250g baby spinach
• 100 curly kale
• 3 x tins chopped tomatoes
• 200g Jalapeno vegan cheese (grated)
• Salt to taste

Method 
1. Cook the pasta al dente and drain the water.
2. To make the spinach and kale puree, wilt the spinach and kale in a large pan with 100ml water and half of the chopped onion. Cover with a lid until the spinach and kale wilt. Season with salt and whizz in a food processor until smooth.
3. Preheat the oven to 180c. Use a large oven proof dish to layer the ingredients as it follows:
Layer 1: a tin and a half of chopped tomatoes, a quarter of the chopped onion, salt and a handful of cheese.
Layer 2: half of the cooked pasta.
Layer 3: the spinach and kale puree and a handful of cheese.
Layer 4: the rest of the cooked pasta.
Layer 5: a tin and a half of chopped tomatoes, a quarter of the chopped onion, salt and a handful of cheese.
4. Bake for one hour. Remove from the over and leave to sit for 30-60 minutes before serving. This will allow the ingredients to set and will cut better.

Tomato and spinach pasta bake

Peanut butter stir fry noodles (Vegan)

Makes 4-6 servings

Not just a stir fry, but the best stir fry!
Stir fry noodles with spicy peanut butter sauce, toasted sesame seeds and fresh coriander.

A symphony of big bold flavours that work together in perfect harmony.
This is one of my go to recipes because it’s so tasty and quick to put together. Not to mention, a great way to eat my veggies. 
I have been making this dish for many years, so I thought it’s about time I share it on my blog. The sauce is a little bit spicy, so feel free to use less Sriracha if you are not keen on spice. You can use any stir fry veggies you like. I usually get a shop bought bag of stir fry veggies and add whatever veggies I have around to it. I had a can of bamboo shoots and water chestnuts laying around in my cupboard, so I add them this time; they brought a lovely crunch to the dish.
When it comes to noodles I usually use rice noodles, but I also try other varieties as long as they are vegan. I was using udon noodles when I photographed the dish and they were great.
Give it a go and let me know what you think 🙂 

Peanut butter sauce ingredients
¼ cup light soy sauce
¼ cup peanut butter
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Sriracha sauce
1 tablespoon sweet chilli sauce
Juice of 1 lime

Other ingredients
1-2 tablespoons sesame oil for frying
400g stir fry veggies
1 bunch fresh coriander
300g noodles
toasted sesame seeds for serving

Method 
1. In a bowl mix all the ingredients for the peanut butter sauce and set aside.
2. Cook the noodles to the instructions on the pack and drain.
3. In a large pan, heat up a little bit of oil and add at the stir fry veggies. Cook on medium-high heat until cooked to your liking (5-10 minutes). Stir in the peanut butter sauce and cook for another minute until the peanut butter melts. Remove from heat. 
4. Add the noodles to the pan and mix until the noodles are coated in the sauce.
5. Chop the coriander and add it to the pan. Serve with toasted sesame seeds. Enjoy!

Peanut butter stir fry noodles

Papanasi (vegan & baked, not fried)

Makes 15 papanasi

Papanasi are traditional Romanian cheesecake doughnuts, served with cream and jam.
A delicious, very indulgent treat, that reminds me of my childhood. My mum still makes Papanasi for me every time I visit.
Because of the pandemic, my parents already missed visiting me in March and I missed visiting them in May…so you probably know where this is going…I was left with no choice other than making my own Papanasi.  
This recipe is not only the vegan version of Papanasi, but I pushed the boundaries further to make the Papanasi baked instead of fried. I just don’t like to fry stuff!
The recipe takes some patience to make due to the dough proving, but the result is worthwhile. Unlike doughnuts, that go stale the next day, the Papanasi stay good for at least 3 days.
Give them a go and let me know what you think!

Ingredients
2 tbsp milled chia seeds
150ml plant-based milk
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 tsp fast-action dried yeast or 20 grams fresh yeast
5 tbsp sugar 
50ml rapeseed oil
170g free from alternative to cream cheese
Zest from one lemon
2 tablespoons semolina
350g plain flour, plus extra for kneading and dusting
a pinch of slat

For serving: Alpro soy single cream, raspberry jam and fresh raspberries.

Method
1. In a small bowl mix the milled chia seeds with 6 tablespoons of water. Leave to set.
2. Warm up the plant milk in the microwave for 30 seconds. Add the apple cider vinegar, mix and leave to curdle.
3. In a large mixing bowl, mix the fresh yeast with 1 tablespoon of sugar. Mix using a spoon until it turns into a runny paste (about 30 seconds). Add the curdled milk over the yeast mixture and cover the bowl with cling film. Leave for 10 minutes to activate the yeast.
4. After the time is up, add over the yeast mixture: the chia seed mixture, the rest of the sugar, oil, cream cheese and lemon zest. Mix until combined.
5. Add in the semolina, flour and a pinch of salt. Mix using the dough hook attachment until a dough is formed.
6. Dust a work surface with flour. Remove the dough from the bowl and knead for about 10 minutes. The dough sound be fairly sticky, so add more flour as you knead to prevent it from sticking to the work surface and your hands.
7. Spray the large mixing bowl with some oil and add the dough back to the bowl. Cover the bowl with cling film and leave the dough to prove in a warm place for 2 hours (until it doubles in size).
8. Line two baking trays with baking paper.
9. Dust a work surface with flour. Remove the cling film from the bowl and gently punch down the dough to remove the air. Turn the dough on the work surface and roll until 2cm thick. Use a water glass dipped in flour to cut the doughnuts and place them on the baking trays. Cover the baking trays with cling film and leave to prove for another 20 minutes.
10. Preheat the oven to 180C. Bake the doughnuts for 12 minutes. Remove the doughnuts from the oven and leave to cool down for 10 minutes.
11. Enjoy hot or cold with single cream, raspberry jam and fresh raspberries.

Thanks for the inspiration go to my mum.

Papanasi (vegan)

Pearl barley risotto – Vegan

Makes 4 servings

Pearl barley risotto, incredibly creamy and simple to make.
Barley is rich in vitamins and minerals, so I made it easy to include in my diet. Pair this with some steamed broccoli and you have a delicious nutritious meal.
The subtle flavours of lemon, pea, mint and basil make this risotto truly special.

I don’t usually cook with pearl barley, but turns out I rather like it.
Sharing is caring, so don’t miss out on this lovely dish.

Ingredients

• Oil for frying
• 1 onion – finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves – finely chopped
• Zest of one lemon
• 200g pearl barley
• 1.2l vegetable stock
• 140g garden peas
• 1 mint sprig
• 2 tablespoons Oatly crème fraiche
• 1 small bunch of basil – finely chopped
• Salt to taste
• A head of broccoli (steamed or boiled) for serving

Method

1. Heat the oil in a medium frying pan over medium heat. Fry the onion, garlic and lemon zest for 5-10 minutes (until soft).
2. Rinse the pearl barley in cold water to remove some of the starch.
3. Add the pearl barley to the frying pan and half of the vegetable stock, stirring every few minutes to prevent sticking.
4. Use half of the garden peas to make a quick pea and mint puree by whizzing peas with 3-4 mint leaves in a blender. Add a splash of water as needed.
5. Once the pearl barley stock is absorbed, stir in the leftover vegetable stock, the leftover the garden peas, pea puree and continue to cook until the liquid is absorbed.
6. Remove from heat and stir in the Oatly crème fraiche and basil. Add salt to taste (my vegetable stock is already salty, so I don’t usually have to add more salt).
7. Enjoy with steamed broccoli.

Three bean loaded nachos (Vegan)

Makes enough three bean sauce to serve a crowd!

Three bean loaded nachos – Vegan

Three bean loaded nachos – Vegan

Three bean loaded nachos – Vegan

Tortilla crisps, covered in a rich tomato, pepper and 3 bean sauce, fiery jalapenos and melted cheese. Serve it with fresh avocado slices or guacamole and Oatly crème fraiche.

A real crowd pleaser. Great party snack or a hearty dinner; no matter who your guests are, they are going to love it. I have been making this dish for years and it’s a family favourite, so it’s about time it made it to the blog. This is a dish from my pre-vegan times, it’s what I would call ‘accidentally vegan’.

If Nachos are not your thing, the rich tomato, pepper and 3 bean sauce also works great in Tortilla wraps. Enjoy the Mexican party!

Ingredients
Oil for frying
1 x teaspoon lazy garlic
1 x onion (finely chopped)
1 x tablespoon tomato puree
1 x tablespoon Chipotle paste (optional)
3 x peppers (chopped)
2 x cans of chopped tomatoes
1 x can black beans
1 x can red kidney beans
1 x can butter beans
1 x bunch fresh parsley
Chilli flakes, salt & pepper to taste

For serving: Tortilla chips, Tortilla wraps, grated sheese, jalapenos, avocado/guacamole, crème fraiche, salad.

 Method
1. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Fry the garlic and onion until soften. Mix in the tomato puree and Chipotle paste. Add the chopped peppers and cover with a lid. Cook for 10 minutes (stir from time to time).
2. Add the chopped tomatoes and cook for another 10 minutes. Drain and rinse the beans. Add the beans and cook for another 5-10 minutes, until everything is heated through and bubbling.
3. Remove from heat and stir in the parsley, chilli flakes, salt and pepper. Serve with Tortilla chips or wraps and share with friends!

Creamy Truffle Pasta (Vegan)

Vegan Creamy Truffle Pasta

Vegan Creamy Truffle Pasta

Plant based, incredibly rich and creamy truffle pasta.
If you think being vegan means giving up indulgent food, think again!
This one pot pasta dish is every bit as creamy and delicious as it sounds.

The truffle pesto and oil add a wonderful depth of flavour and the fresh herbs will make your taste buds sing.
There is no need to use both truffle pesto and oil, one may be enough, depending on how strong they are in flavour. I used truffle pesto to start with, but the pesto I used on this occasion was not as strong as I expected it to be, so I topped up the truffle flavour with the truffle oil when serving.

If you are wondering how kale made it into this dish…I must confess it’s just because I like kale a lot, so I incorporate it in whatever I cook. In my defence, it brings a nice texture to this dish and helps with the vitamin intake (win-win).

I hope you enjoy this dish as much as I do!

Ingredients

• Oil for frying
• 1 teaspoon lazy garlic
• 2 shallots (chopped)
• 550g mushrooms (sliced)
• 1 tablespoon truffle pesto (optional)
• 3 + 1/3 cups of vegetable stock
• 2 + ½ cups plant milk
• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• 2 teaspoons white Miso paste
• 350g pasta
• A handful of kale
• Leaves from 1 x Thyme sprig
• Leaves from 1 x Rosemary sprig (chopped)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Truffle oil for serving

Method
1. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Fry the garlic and shallots until soften. Add the mushrooms, salt and pepper and fry until all the liquid from the mushrooms is evaporated. Stir in a teaspoon of truffle pesto.
2. Add the pasta, vegetable stock, 2 cups of plant milk (reserve ½ cup of plant milk for later), nutritional yeast and white Miso paste and stir until combined. Simmer on medium heat for 8-10 minutes, or until the pasta is cooked, but stir from time to time to prevent it from sticking.
3. Once the pasta is cooked, remove the pan from the heat and stir in the kale, ½ cup plant milk and the fresh herbs. Serve with a drizzle of truffle oil!

Thanks for the inspiration go to Delicious Everyday