Quinoa stuffing

Gluten & Dairy free Vegan, Veggie,

Serves 8 – 10

• 250g prepared quinoa cooked in gluten free veggie stock

• 1 large sweet potato, diced into cubes

• 1 large onion, diced

• 4 sticks celery, diced

• 1 bay leaf

• 3 cloves garlic, diced

• 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped

• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped

• 1/2 teaspoon fresh sage, chopped

• 1 large apple, cored and diced

• 170g raisins

• 70g chopped toasted pecans or walnuts

• 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

• 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped

• 1 teaspoon cumin

• Olive oil

• Salt and pepper

 

1. Preheat the oven to 180, gas 5 Toss sweet potato cubes with olive oil and a pinch of salt and place in a roasting pan. Roast sweet potato cubes in the oven for about 30 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are cooked through and browning. Remove from the oven and set aside.

2. Coat a large frying pan with olive oil and begin heating over medium heat. Add onion, celery and bay leaf to the pan and sauté until soft and translucent, about 10 minutes.

3. Add garlic, rosemary, thyme and sage (along with a pinch of salt) to the pan with the onions and celery and continue cooking, stirring often, another 3 minutes.

4. Add quinoa to a large bowl. Add roasted sweet potato cubes to the quinoa. Add the onion, celery and garlic-herb mixture to the quinoa (discard the bay leaf) and stir together well.

5. In the same pan you cooked the onion, celery and garlic mixture, over medium-high heat, add the diced apple and cook about 2 to 3 minutes, stirring often. Add cooked diced apple to the quinoa.

6. Add raisins, nuts, apple cider vinegar, parsley and cumin to the quinoa and stir well. Salt and pepper to taste.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Christmas Cookie Recipe

 Egg-free, Milk-free, Nut-free

Makes about 2 trays of cookies

 

• 60g dairy-free baking margarine

• 60g light brown sugar (light muscavdo works really well)

• 60g black treacle

• 60g unsweetened applesauce

• 30g self raising flour

• 1 teaspoon ginger

• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

• 1 teaspoon allspice

 

1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC/160ºC fan/gas mark 4 and line two baking sheets with greaseproof paper

2. Mix together the margarine, brown sugar, black treacle and half of the applesauce. Softening the margarine for 30 seconds in the microwave makes the mixture much easier to stir – which is really useful if you’re making these with younger children

3. Gradually add the flour and spices – a couple of tablespoons at a time making sure that the mixture is thoroughly combined before adding more flour. As the mixture gets drier switch to kneading it with your hands.

4. Once the mixture is thoroughly combined add enough of the remaining applesauce to bind it into a soft dough.

5. At this point you can leave the dough mixture to cool in the fridge, but if you have impatient helpers it should be fine to use straight away.

6. Roll out the dough on a well floured surface until it’s about 1cm thick. Cover your cookie cutters in flour and cut out some festive shapes.

7. Bake for 8-10 minutes (they should be firm to touch and just starting to turn brown.

8. Leave to cool

9. Decorate with icing and try not to eat all of them at once

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Christmas Day Curry

With roasted cauliflower & aubergine

Vegan, Veggie, Gluten Free, Dairy free

Serves 6

• 1 1/2 teaspoons fennel seeds

• 1 1/2 teaspoons coriander seeds

• 1 teaspoon chilli flakes

• 1 medium cauliflower

• Olive oil.

• 15cm piece of ginger

• 9 cloves of garlic

• 20 finger aubergines

• 3 medium onions

• 2-3 fresh green chillies

• 1 kg ripe tomatoes

• 1 cinnamon stick

• 150 g cashews

• 100 g coconut shavings

• 1 pomegranate

SPICE BLEND

• 1 teaspoon cardamom pods

• 2 teaspoons turmeric powder

• 3 dried Kashmiri red chillies

• 7 cloves

• 1 tablespoon fennel seeds

• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds

• 1 teaspoon black peppercorns

INDIAN TEMPEH

• 3 cloves of garlic

• 1 small handful of fresh curry leaves

• 1 tablespoon brown mustard seeds

 

1. Preheat the oven to 200ºC/400ºF/gas 6.

2. Using a pestle and mortar, grind the fennel and coriander seeds, and chilli flakes until fine.

3. Place the cauliflower on a sheet of tin foil, rub in half of the ground spices and 1 tablespoon of oil, and season with sea salt and black pepper.

4. Wrap the cauliflower in the foil, pop it on a roasting tray and bake for 30 minutes, or until tender, removing the foil for the last 15 minutes to give it a gnarly crust. Remove and set aside.

5. Peel and finely grate the ginger and 6 cloves of garlic. In a bowl, combine two-thirds of the ginger, the grated garlic and the remaining half of the spice mixture.

6. Make an incision in each aubergine with a small sharp knife, then rub the ginger mixture into each one, along with a drizzle of oil.

7. Place the aubergines in a small roasting tray and cook in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until softened and starting to split. Set aside.

8. Make your spice blend. Split the cardamom pods, add the seeds to a mortar with all the other ingredients, then grind well.

9. Peel and finely chop the onions, then deseed and roughly chop the chillies and tomatoes, keeping them separate. Peel and finely slice the remaining 3 cloves of garlic.

10. Place a large pan over a medium heat and toast the ground spices for 1 minute, or until aromatic.

11. Stir in 1 tablespoon of oil, followed by the onions, green chillies, sliced garlic, and the remaining ginger. Cook for 10 minutes, or until the onion and garlic are softened and coloured.

12. Add the tomatoes, cinnamon stick and 200ml of water and let it simmer over a low heat for 30 minutes.

13. In a blender, blitz the cashews with 4 tablespoons of water until you have a smooth paste, then stir this into your curry. Cook for 5 minutes, or until thick and fragrant.

14. For the tempeh, peel and finely slice the garlic, then add to a frying pan over a medium heat with a splash of oil, the curry leaves and mustard seeds.

15. Fry for 1 minute, or until crisp, then drain on kitchen paper.

16. Chop the roasted cauliflower into florets and stir into the curry along with the aubergines.

17. Top the curry with the tempeh and shaved coconut. Halve the pomegranate and bash it, cut side down, with a wooden spoon so the seeds come tumbling out. Scatter the seeds over the curry

Serve with Rice or Gluten free flat bread

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Vegan Christmas wreath

Serves 6 - 8

Vegan, Veggie, Dairy Free, (Can be gluten free if modify pastry)

 

• 250g spinach

• 250g silken tofu

• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for brushing

• 50g pine nuts, toasted

• generous grating nutmeg

• 2 fat garlic cloves, crushed

• 2 lemons, zested

• 1 small pack dill, ¾ leaves chopped, ¼ fronds reserved for decorating

• 1 tbsp sour cherries

• ½ tbsp dried cranberries, plus a few extra

• flour, for rolling

• 500g block shortcrust pastry  (such as vegan Jus-Rol) – (Or a Gluten Free alternative)

• almond milk, for brushing

1. Put the spinach in a colander, then pour over a kettle of boiling water and leave to wilt. Once cool, wring out the excess moisture using a clean tea towel, then chop the spinach and put in a large bowl. Stir in the tofu, oil, pine nuts, nutmeg, garlic, lemon zest, chopped dill and fruit until well combined, season generously and set aside.

2. On a well-floured surface, roll the pastry out into a 60 x 20cm rectangle. Leaving a 1cm border, spoon the spinach mixture along the length of the pastry, leaving a 2cm gap at both short ends. Fold in the two short ends to stop any of the filling coming out, then roll the pastry away from you to enclose the filling and create a long sausage shape. Join the two ends together to create a wreath shape and stick together with a little almond milk. Transfer the wreath to a baking tray lined with baking parchment and chill for 20 mins. Can be made up to this point a day in advance and kept covered in the fridge.

3. Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Using a sharp knife, cut slashes across the top of the wreath. Mix a little almond milk with some olive oil (this will help the pastry colour) and brush all over the wreath. Bake for 40-45 mins until golden brown. Leave to cool for 5 mins, then transfer to a board and decorate with the reserved dill fronds and some dried cranberries

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chilli-charred Brussels sprouts

Serves 6

Vegan, Veggie & Allergy Free

 

• 600g Brussels sprouts, trimmed at the base

• 60ml olive oil

• 4 garlic cloves, peeled and bashed

• 1-2 tsp chilli flakes

• 1 lemon, zested and juiced

1. Bring a pan of salted water to the boil. Add the Brussels sprouts and cook for 4-5 mins until just tender, then drain and leave to cool a little before slicing in half vertically.

2. Meanwhile, heat 3 tbsp olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat, add the garlic and cook until golden but not burnt, around 4 mins. Use a slotted spoon to remove the garlic and discard. Add the chilli flakes and a big pinch of salt to the oil, then put the sprouts cut-side down in the pan, and leave them to cook for around 10 mins. Don’t be tempted to move them – this ensures that they get some colour. Add the remaining olive oil and the lemon juice, then cook for a few mins more.

3. Tip onto a large serving platter, top with lemon zest and season. These will hold in a low oven for 20 mins while you get everything else ready.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Whole roasted cauliflower

With a thyme & paprika rub

Vegan, Veggie, Gluten free, Dairy Free

Serves 4

• 4 cloves of garlic

• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika

• ½ a small bunch of fresh thyme

• olive oil

• sea salt

• freshly ground black pepper

• 1 lemon , zest and juice of

• 1 large cauliflower , (1kg) with outer leaves left on

• 4 tablespoons dry sherry

• 1 x 400 g tin of plum tomatoes

• 40 g flaked almonds

• ½ a bunch of fresh flat-leaf parsley

• extra virgin olive oil

 

1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/gas 4.

2. Peel the garlic, then add to a pestle and mortar with the paprika and half the thyme leaves. Bash well to a rough paste, then muddle in 2 tablespoons of olive oil and season. Zest the lemon into a separate bowl and set aside.

3. Trim the outer cauliflower leaves. Trim away and discard the stalk so the cauliflower can sit flat, then cut a cross into the base. Rub all over with the paprika paste, then place in a medium casserole pan. Drizzle over the sherry and squeeze the lemon juice on top. Cover and pop in the hot oven for around 1 hour 20 minutes, or until tender, removing the lid for the final 20 minutes.

4. Take the pan out of the oven, then pour in the plum tomatoes, tearing or slicing them up into chunks. Sprinkle over the lemon zest and pick over the remaining thyme leaves. Return the pan to the oven for a further 10 minutes, or until the cauliflower is golden.

5. Meanwhile, place a medium frying pan over a medium-low heat. Add the almonds and toast gently for 2 to 3 minutes, or until golden, then leave to cool. Once ready, take the pan out of the oven. Scrunch over the toasted almonds, then pick, roughly chop and scatter the parsley leaves on top. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, then carve up and serve with pilaff rice and steamed greens, or as part of a big spread.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Baby artichoke bruschetta

Serves 4

Vegan, Veggie, Gluten free, Dairy Free

 

• 8 baby artichokes

• 4 bruschetta- or use gluten free flatbread

• 4 cloves garlic

• 1 lemon , juice of

• extra virgin olive oil

• 1 handful fresh mint , leaves picked

• sea salt

• freshly ground black pepper

• grated parmesan (optional)

1. Start by preparing the artichokes, peel them back to their pale, light leaves, then halve them and remove the hairy chokes with a teaspoon. Place them in a pan with just enough water to cover them. Add the garlic cloves and a little squeeze of lemon juice and cook until the stalks are tender.

2. Drain in a colander, then place the artichokes straight back into the empty pan with 2 or 3 tablespoons of olive oil and fry for 4 minutes to get a bit of colour on them. When they're slightly golden, remove from the heat, squeeze in a little lemon juice, add the mint and season carefully to taste.

3. Remove 4 artichoke halves from the pan and put to one side, then mash all the rest in the pan, using a fork to squash the garlic out of the skins (throw the skins away).

4. Smear across your bruschetta, tearing one of the reserved artichoke halves over the top of each.

5. It's also really nice to add a handful of freshly grated Parmesan to the mashed-up artichokes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chocolate pots

Clementine syrup & crème fraîche

Serves 12

Veggie, Gluten Free

 

• 300 g quality dark chocolate (70%)

• 200 g unsalted butter

• 300 g golden caster sugar

• 5 large free-range eggs

SYRUP & TOPPING

• 8 clementines

• 2 tablespoons golden caster sugar

• 12 teaspoons crème fraîche

 

1. Preheat the oven to 160ºC/325ºF/gas 3.

2. Snap the chocolate into a heatproof bowl, add the butter and a pinch of sea salt and place over a pan of gently simmering water until smooth and melted, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and leave to cool for 15 minutes.

3. In a separate bowl, whisk the sugar and eggs together until thick and fluffy. Whisking constantly, pour the chocolate mixture into the eggs, until combined.

4. Divide between 12 small ovenproof teacups or ramekins, then place them in a large, deep roasting tray. Place the tray in the oven, then carefully pour enough boiling kettle water into the tray to come halfway up the side of the cups.

5. Bake for 25 minutes, then carefully remove the cups from the tray and leave them to sit for at least 15 minutes before serving.

6. Meanwhile, to make the syrup, squeeze all the clementine juice through a sieve into a small pan.

7. Add the sugar and bring to the boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer for 15 minutes, or until starting to thicken and coat the back of a spoon.

8. Remove from the heat and leave to cool to room temperature. For maximum pleasure, enjoy the chocolate pots at room temperature – if they’re hot, they’ll be too runny, and if they even touch the fridge, they become too firm. Serve with a spoonful of crème fraîche and a drizzle of the syrup.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

No-bake vegan chocolate fudge bars

Makes 12 bars

Vegan, Veggie, Gluten & Dairy Free (Refined Sugar free too!)

 

Base layer

• 170g dates

• 75g cashew nuts

• 65g cup pecans

• 3 tbsp maple syrup

• 2 tbsp cocoa nibs

Chocolate topping

• 1 tbsp coconut oil

• 3 heaped tbsp cocoa powder

• 3 tbsp maple syrup

• 2 tbsp chia seeds

• 50g dates

• 40g pecans or cashew nuts

 

 

 

1. Soak chia seeds in a bowl with 8 tbsp of water and leave aside. Place all the base layer ingredients in a food processor and blend until combined and sticking together.

2. Press the mixture into the bottom of an inch-deep tray.

3. Next, place all the topping ingredients in the processor with the chia seeds and most of the water then blend until smooth.

4. Stop to taste the mix, and if you like it a bit sweeter add a little more maple syrup.

5. Scoop the topping out and smear on top of the base layer, then put the tray in the freezer for at least an hour.

6. Once it’s set it’s ready to cut into portions. You can store it in the fridge and it will last a week, or in freezer if you’ve done a big batch.