Ya'll. These meatballs are super good. All the yum noises.

They're satisfying, full of flavour, and are packed with protein. Plus, they're not too complicated to make and contain ingredients you probably have lying around in your pantry anyway.

I'm telling you, you so won't be sorry you made these. Plus, they're just good old fashioned comfort food. I mean, hearty Italian meatballs with homemade marinara... What more do you want in life!?

Recipea:
Makes 6-8 large meatballs
Prep time: 10 minutes | Cook time: 45 minutes

Ingredients 

Meatballs:
1 red onion, minced
3 cloves garlic
1 can brown or green lentils
1 flaxegg (1 tablespoon of ground flaxseeds, 3 tablespoons of water, leave to set for 5 minutes)
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
2 tablespoons oregano
1/2 tablespoon herbs de provence
Ground salt to taste
Ground pepper to taste
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 cup ground nuts and seeds (I only used 3/4 cup) - use whatever you have around the house - I used sesame seed, pumpkin seed, flaxseed, pumpkin seed, brazil nuts, cashews
2 tablespoons olive oil

Tomato sauce
1 can chopped tomatoes
10 cherry tomatoes, halved
2 tablespoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon herbs de provence
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Ground salt & pepper
1 big handful of fresh basil

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 375°F/190°C. 

Saute onion and garlic over medium-high heat in a medium pan. Make flaxegg and leave to set. Add lentils and cook thoroughly. Stir with a wooden or silicon spoon and once the lentils are tender, try to mash them down a bit while stirring so that they form a slightly sticky, loose paste. Take the pan off the heat, add flax egg and stir to combine. Add soy sauce, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, oregano, herbs de provence, salt and pepper, and nutritional yeast and stir to combine.

Added bonus of making lentil meatballs rather than actual meatballs: You can taste it as you go so that you can see if you need/want a bit more of any of the spices. Do that.

Add the nuts and seeds in 1/4 cup increments to see how much you need. Depending on the type of lentil you use and how long you have them cooking, you could have more or less liquid to be soaked up by the nuts. The nuts should act as a binder to help make the meatballs stick together and be firm... but they should be crumbling apart or dry from too much of the ground nuts. Remember you can always add more, but its harder to take away.

Stick them on a greased baking tray and brush them with the olive oil before placing them in the oven for 10 minutes.

While that's baking, make your pasta and tomato sauce.

Boil some water and get your pasta going. I'm going to trust you to know how to make pasta. You got this.

While that's going, toss the canned and fresh tomatoes and dried herbs and spices into a medium saucepan (or let's be real, you can just use the same pan you used for the meatballs - less cleanup!). Simmer covered for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

After 10 minutes - or when the meatballs have browned a bit, give them a turn and bake for 10 more minutes until both sides are nicely browned.

Add the chopped fresh basil and the baked meatballs in and give them a turn to coat. Arrange over the pasta and bask in the glow of your own homemade vegan meatballs.

You, my friend, are a winner.

My dad (the BBQ king) stumbled across a few recipes for vegan burgers a few weeks back and sent them across to me. Having never made my own, I thought - no time like the present! I've taken inspo from the recipes he sent me to create my own concoction. For a first timer, I think I've absolutely nailed it. Let me know what you think!

These puppies can be made indoors in the oven, but can also handle a BBQ without falling apart. They've got a perfect smoky flavour, and are packed with protein and fiber to keep you full and nourished. Plus, guac. Need I say more?

Enjoy!


Recipea:
Makes 4 burgers
Prep time: 20 mins | Cook time: 20 mins

Ingredients:

Burgers:
4 burger buns or rolls
1/2 large red onion, finely chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
3 cups baby portabello mushrooms, chopped or sliced
1 teaspoon liquid smoke
1 can black beans
1 tablespoon chopped jarred jalapeno + 1 1/2 tablespoon of the jalapeno juice
3 tablespoons water
1 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
2 teaspoons cumin
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
One vine ripe tomato, sliced
1 cup spinach
4 teaspoons vegan mayo

Guac:
1 avocado
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion
2 tablespoons finely chopped tomato
1 big pinch of cilantro chopped
1 teaspoon jalapeno chopped
Squeeze of lime
Fresh ground salt and pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375°F or preheat your BBQ to a medium high heat.

In a medium pan over medium heat, saute 1 tablespoon olive oil, garlic and onions until the onions are tender.
Add mushrooms and cook for 5 mins or until tender. Add 1 tablespoon of water at the beginning if they need a little support cooking down. Once they're just tender, add the liquid smoke and continue cooking until the mushrooms have become a dark brown. Then add the black beans and cook for 5 more minutes until the beans are heated through. Add the mixture to a blender or food processor along with the jalapeno and jalapeno juice. Add water 1 tablespoon at a time depending on how strong your blender is (if it's weak like mine, you'll definitely need some water to get the ingredients moving around, but if you've got a super blender or processor, you may not need any at all). You want the mix to be sticky and the beans to be chopped but you don't want to make a paste. Keep some of the texture of the beans and shrooms.

Place this into a medium bowl and add the panko bread crumbs, cumin, salt, and pepper. Form into burger patty shapes and place on a greased baking sheet. Brush with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and either place into the oven or onto a BBQ grill. Cook for 10 minutes, then flip and cook for the remaining 10 minutes.

While the patties are cooking, make your guac by throwing all the ingredients I listed in the guac section and mashing them all together (teamwork makes the dream work).

Slice your tomato into thin slices.

Assemble your burgers by adding a thin layer of mayo to the bottom, then a few leaves of spinach, then the tomato, then the burger patty, then a big ol' spoonful of guac, and the top bun.

Bask in the glory of a quick, delicious homemade burger that would turn even the head of those dreaded non-vegans (that's a joke people, stop being so sensitive).

Tonight I wanted something creamy and easy. And I manifested my own destiny with this glorious quick weeknight dinner.

Literally 5 minutes to whizz everything together in a blender, and only one pot. Gotta love it.

Also loving that there's an awesome amount of filling protein and healthy fats in here to give me some fuel that will last me all the way till the mornin'!

Give it a whirl! You won't be sorry!

Recipea:

Prep time: 10 mins (if you don't have cashews already soaked, then 30) | Cooking time: 20 minutes
Serves two

Ingredients:
Juice of half a lemon
1/4 cup soaked cashews
1/2 small avocado
1 clove garlic
1/4 cup almond milk
1/4 cup sundried tomatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons oregano
1 teaspoon ground pepper
2 cups fresh basil + 1/2 cup for garnish
4 tablespoons water (if you need it)

Wholewheat pasta
2 cups fresh asparagus
5 cherry tomatoes

Directions:

Pour boiling water over 1/4 cup cashews and let sit for 20-30 mins or until relatively soft.

In a medium pot, boil water and throw your pasta in.

While that's brewin', drain your cashews and put them in a blender with the lemon juice, avocado, garlic, almond milk, sun dried tomatoes, olive oil, oregano, pepper, and basil. Blend until smooth. If you need it, add water one tablespoon at a time until you reach the desired thickness. I like mine a little thinner than hummus consistency. If you wind up making it a bit too thin, not to worry, you can always condense it down when you stir it in your pasta.

Chop the asparagus into bite sized pieces.

When your pasta is 5 mins from being al dente, throw it in the same pot and continue boiling.

Meanwhile, quarter your cherry tomatoes.

Once the pasta and asparagus is ready, drain and then return to the same pot.

Over a low heat, stir in the tomatoes and the sauce until the sauce reaches your desired consistency.

Chiffonade the last bit of your basil and stir some through, leaving some to sprinkle on top of each bowl.

Fill a container to the brim with the pasta, shove it in a bag with two forks and a frisbee, walk to the park down the street, spread out a blanket, and enjoy it with someone great.
(You don't have to do this last bit, but it is highly recommended :] )



(Yes, that's the pot of my glorious basil plant, Massimo in the background. You go, Massimo!)

Have you ever wanted to make something that's similar to an apple crumble, only savory?

Just me?

Alright then.

Well, be glad I had that weird craving because I've invented something BOMB.

It has delicious, filling ingredients and it's super simple to make.

Let's get comfort fooding, people!

Recipea:
Prep time: 20 mins | Bake time: 30 mins
Makes one casserole (9x13)
Serves 6

1 small white onion
2 cups chopped mushrooms
4 cloves garlic
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp herbs de provence
1 tbsp olive oil

1/2 cup almond milk
2 teaspoons corn flour

1 medium swede
3 carrots
2 parsnips
1 medium potato
1 vegetable stock cube

1 box sage and onion stuffing mix (or use homemade - or leftovers!)
2-3 tbsp walnuts (optional)
2 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Peel and chop all of the veggies.

Place swede, carrots, parsnips, potato and stock cube into a medium pot over medium high heat and cover with boiling water. Try to cover just above the veg. Don't leave too much room, so as much of the good stock flavor goes into the veggies as possible. Leave to simmer.

While that's cooking, in a medium pan over medium heat, sauté the onion with garlic and oil. When translucent, add mushrooms and herbs.

In a small bowl or mug, whisk together the milk and corn flour. When the mushrooms have wilted a bit, turn off the heat and add the milk mixture to the saucepan and stir consistently until a thick sauce has formed.

In another medium bowl, mix the contents of the stuffing mix with water (according to the package instructions), erring on the side of less water, rather than more. You don't want the stuffing to be soggy - better to be a bit more crunchy. Stir in the walnuts if that's your thang - or whatever else you like in your stuffing.

By this time, the root veggies should be just about fork tender (less tender is better than more for these guys - don't want them to be too mushy - they still have cooking to do in the oven...). Once they are, using a slotted spoon, scoop out the veggies into a 9x13 baking dish (keep the water they were boiling in - that's yummy veggie stock just asking to be made into a soup later!).

Stir the mushroom mixture through the root veg until combined.

Sprinkle the stuffing mixture evenly over the top and pat down to fully cover the veg.

Brush the top with the olive oil and add ground salt and pepper.

Bake in a 180 degree celcius oven for 20-30 mins or until the top has browned.

Enjoy the comfort food bonanza that is about to be your dinner.

Autumn is happening, guys.

That means it's time to use up those beautiful pumpkins.

I'm totally into the savory pumpkin combo these days, so I created this yummy pumpkin pasta concoction and am very pleased about how it turned out. It's creamy, full of cozy flavour, and the pumpkin adds a little touch of sweetness that gives a comforting dynamic element to a basic pasta dish.

Bring on all the cozy autumnal food! The one perk of needing to cover ourselves with huge sweaters all the time means we can stuff all the pasta in our faces with zero remorse. Gotta store up for winter! ;)

Recipea:
Makes 2 hearty bowls of pasta
Prep time: 10 mins | Cook time: 20 mins

200g (1/2 can) of pureed pumpkin
2 large cloves of minced fresh garlic
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon dried sage
1 teaspoon fresh chopped thyme
1 teaspoon fresh chopped rosemary
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Ground salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup grated non-dairy cheese
1 1/2 cups fresh spinach
160g (about 1/3 of a 500g packet) of wholewheat spaghetti

Boil spaghetti until al dente.
While spaghetti is cooking, in a medium saucepan on medium heat, heat oil and garlic until fragrant.
Add pumpkin and heat through.
Add nutritional yeast and herbs and spices.
When the spaghetti is ready use a pair of tongs to transfer the pasta straight from the water into the pumpkin mixture. Add 4-6 tablespoons of pasta water to thin out the sauce to your desired consistency and toss together with the fresh spinach and non-dairy cheese until spinach is slightly wilted and cheese is melted.
Serve and garnish with some more fresh thyme and rosemary.

This dish is also great with baked, thinly sliced portobello mushrooms, vegan sausage, crispy kale, etc. Get creative!

HOLY YUM.

So I've been going through a serious soba noodle phase lately. I've been eating them in soups, stir frys, green curries... just about anything. But I think this sweet and spicy peanut hoisin sauce might take the cake for my best soba noodle creation of them all.

This sauce is creamy, has the perfect little kick, and works wonders as the star of an already glowing soba noodle bowl. :]

I paired mine with some stir fried veggies and crispy kale to give the final dish some dimension and crunch.

This works as much as a showstopper main for dinner with friends as it does a great quick mid-week meal.

Give it a whirl and see what you think!

Recipea:
Serves 2-3
Prep time: 10 minutes | Cook time: 10 minutes

Sauce:
3 tablespoons smooth, natural peanut butter
3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
3 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
3 teaspoons soy sauce
3 teaspoons sesame oil
2 teaspoon fresh finely grated ginger
1 teaspoon fresh finely grated garlic
4-5 tablespoons warm water

Stir fried veggies:
Choose 3-4 cups of whatever fresh veggies you'd like. I used a prepack mix of mushrooms, cabbage, carrots, and bean sprouts.

5 oz soba noodles

4 cups chopped kale
1.5 tablespoons olive oil
Ground salt and pepper
Chopped green onion


Massage the kale with olive oil and sprinkle on salt and pepper. Lay it onto a baking sheet and cook in a 180 degree celsius oven for 10 minutes or until dark green and crispy.

While that's in the oven, place all the sauce ingredients into a jar and shake to combine.

Place veggies into a medium pan over medium high heat with a few tablespoons of water until tender.

While those are cooking, submerge soba noodles into boiling water for 5-7 minutes or until soft.

Drain noodles and toss in sweet and spicy sauce.

Serve with stir fried veggies and top with crispy kale and chopped green onion. You can either serve separately, or combine them all into a bowl... Handily, I've shown you both options below... Ok fine, it was my way of rationalising eating two servings. Don't judge me. When you make this, you'll understand.

Enjoy!

So I made this beautiful, swirly zucchini tart with homemade vegan ricotta this week.

I didn't have company coming over or anything. I just had a magnificent home grown yellow zucchini and it deserved excellence. It's the little things.

If you can believe it, this tart tastes even better than it looks.

It's light, flavourful, and comforting. All the best things.

Yes, assembly will take a bit longer for this one, but it's so worth it. I mean just look at it! It's food art!

And while you will need to afford some time to slice the zucchini pieces and arrange them, it isn't hard work. So just put on a podcast like I did, and see it as therapy. :]

Plus, you can use some pre-made ingredients - like pre-made pesto and shortcrust - so it really isn't difficult at all.

And seriously, I think this is one of the best recipes I've ever made. Not only does it look impressive, but it tastes heavenly. The ricotta and pesto brings in such an incredible flavour. The flaky crust, delicate squash, and creamy base will have you going back for more.

I know you're going to love this one. Give it a try the next time you have a special brunch, Easter, Mother's Day, or just the next time you find yourself with a beautiful home grown zucchini destined for greatness.

YUM.

Recipea:
Serves 4-6
Prep time: 40 minutes / Cook time: 45 mins

Cashew Ricotta Ingredients
100g raw cashews, soaked for at least 2 hours
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons unsweetened almond milk
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons ground pepper
2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning (oregano, parsley, basil)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder

2 tablespoons non-dairy basil pesto

2 medium zucchini (yellow and green)

1 premade frozen shortcrust, thawed (you are more than welcome to make it from scratch, but ain't nobody got time for that)

Method:
Soak cashews for at least 2 hours or overnight and then drain.
Add cashews, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, almond milk, and spices into a food processor or blender. Blend until combined. The mixture will be thick and creamy and will have a similar grainy texture as ricotta cheese.
Set aside.

Cut the zucchini in half lengthwise and then half again lengthwise, so you have four long quarters. Thinly slice with a vegetable peeler or mandolin, trying to make the pieces uniform in thickness.

Lay the pieces out on a towel and sprinkle with a bit of salt to draw out the moisture. Place another towel on top of the pieces and press lightly to absorb the moisture so they don't make the tart soggy.

Roll out the shortcrust into a thin circular shape and place onto a circular greased baking pan or pie sheet.

Spread the pesto on the bottom of the shortcrust, coating the entire base.
Add the cashew ricotta mixture on top of the pesto.

Layer the zucchini standing up on their edges with the coloured peel facing up in a circular pattern, starting from the outside in, layering the zucchini around the edge until you reach the center.

Cut the excess pastry 1/2 inch above the top of the zucchini and fold down over the edges, smooshing (yes, it's a technical term) the pastry over the zucchini on the outer edge so the pastry won't shrink down below, but will instead bake to fuse over the squash (if that's confusing just use the photos below as your guide).

Sprinkle with a little more salt and pepper and bake for 45 minutes or until the shortcrust is lightly browned and the zucchini is tender.

Let cool and enjoy!

You guys.

Yum.

These have a little kick and are so hearty and satisfying. They aren't too complicated and they reheat great for lunch the next day.

Plus, chorizo. Do I really need to say anything else?

And also just please promise me you'll pair with some chips and guac. It's important, ok? Just do it.

Enjoy!

Recipea:
Makes 5-6 stuffed peppers

1 clove of garlic, minced
1/4 cup of white onion, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 vegan chorizo sausages, crumbled
1 cup fresh corn kernels
2 1/2 tablespoons taco seasoning
2 cups cooked brown rice
1 1/2 cups black beans
1/2 cup salsa
1/2 cup fresh coriander leaves, chopped
5-6 bell peppers

Preaheat oven to 160 degrees celsius.

Saute garlic, onion, and 1 tablespoon of the oil in a medium pan over medium heat until tender.

Add ground chorizo until crispy and browned.

Then add corn, rice, taco seasoning, salsa, and beans until warmed through. Then add 1/4 cup of the coriander and combine.

Cut the stem top off of the pepper and scoop out the inside and seeds. Rub the outsides of each pepper with a small amount of oil. Spoon in the rice and bean mixture into each pepper (try to pack in as much as possible), and place in a greased baking dish.

Bake for 35 minutes, or until outside begins to blister and peppers are soft.

Sprinkle with the remainder of the coriander and serve with guac, lime, and tortilla chips.

So. I live in the UK. That means that if I happen to be blessed with a "summer" day, there is about a 50% chance that it will turn gray and rainy. Being from California, I can think of very few things that would help me recover from such a horrific turn of events.

Enter my summer rain risotto.

It has all the goodness of summer... fresh peas and asparagus, mint, and lemon... with all the creamy, warm, cozy comforts that you need on a rainy day.

It's perfection.

I can't tell you how happy this recipea made me when I created it.

Not only did my flat smell like heaven, but it was so FRESH and COMFORTING at the same time. No idea how I did that, but I'm now on a mission to find all the fresh comforting foods.

I've really outdone myself on this one, you guys.

I love it. And so will you. Pinky promise.





Recipea:

Makes 4 main meal servings or 6 side servings

4 tablespoons vegan butter
1/2 cup of shallots
1 clove of garlic
2 teaspoons of ground salt and pepper (use lemon pepper if you can!)
2 cups of risotto rice
1/2 cup Pinot Grigio
5 cups of vegetable broth
1 cup frozen peas
1 cup chopped asparagus
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh mint
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh flat parsley
2 tablespoons of lemon zest
1/2 cup vegan cheese

Saute the shallots, garlic, salt and pepper in 2 tablespoons of butter in a large pan or pot over medium heat for 5 minutes until tender.

Stir in the rice for 2-3 minutes until the edges becomes translucent on the outside. Then add in the wine and another tablespoon of the butter. Stir until it is absorbed.

Then stir in 1 cup of vegetable broth to just cover the risotto, stirring consistently until the liquid is absorbed. Then continue adding the broth, adding 1 cup at a time until absorbed (2 mins each).

After about 16-18 minutes, the rice should be creamy, but firm (you may need a little more or less broth, depending on the rice, heat, etc).

On the last addition of liquid, add in the asparagus and peas, and the last tablespoon of butter.

Continue to simmer and stir until the peas and asparagus until they are just cooked and the rice is tender.

Remove from the heat and stir in the vegan cheese until well combined.

Stir in the mint, parsley, and lemon zest (and some more salt and pepper if needed) until combined.

Dish up and sprinkle with some extra mint, parsley, and lemon zest. Cuz you fancy.

Now it's time to turn that frown upside down. You've just made something that ALMOST makes rain on a sunny day ok.... almost. :)

Spaghetti squash is one of my all time favourite veggies. It's so crunchy and unusual and just makes everything better. It's perfect as a substitute for pasta... the OG  pasta substitute actually, long before zoodles/courgetti was a thing.

Anyway. You can't really find it here in the UK for some ridiculous reason, so you can imagine how excited I was when, after nearly 4 long years of searching, I stumbled across one in Waitrose! I may have been accidentally unnecessarily loud... #american

This called for my homemade pesto.

Add some crumbled vegan sausage on top and you've found yourself smack dab in the middle of happytown.

Get to it, people! RUN TO WAITROSE! DEMAND SPAGHETTI SQUASH! And if you live in the States, well then... just run to the regular grocery store... and appreciate your privilege.






Recipea:
Serves 2-3

1 medium spaghetti squash
1-2ish cups of water

1/4 medium avocado
1/3 cup pine nuts + 1/4 cup pine nuts for garnish
3-4 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 cups fresh basil
1-2 tablespoons lemon juice
Ground salt and pepper
1/2 clove of garlic

Veggie sausage & 1 tablespoon olive oil


Cut the squash in half long ways (be careful ok? I didn't list your fingers in the ingredients for a reason) and scoop out the inside.

Stick them on a shallow baking dish cut side down and add about 1/2 inch of water in the bottom. Cover with either foil (if going in the oven) or paper towel (if going in the microwave).

Either cook in the oven at 210 degrees celsius for 40 minutes or until fork tender (give it a check at the 30 min mark, and then every 10 mins thereafter), OR stick it in the microwave on high for 10-15 mins or until fork tender (chuck it in for 8 mins, then check it every 3 mins or so thereafter).

In a food processor or blender, blend together the avo, 1/3 cup of pine nuts, basil, lemon juice, garlic, and olive oil.

Saute your favourite ground or chopped vegan sausage with olive oil until crispy and set aside.

Toast pine nuts on medium low heat, stirring constantly until lightly toasted.

ASSEMBLE.

Either toss the squash in the pesto to coat, or give a good hearty dollop onto a big helping of the squash noodles. Top with the sausage and pine nuts and loads more fresh basil leaves and enjoy!

Think quesadillas without the cheese sounds lame? Well stop being such a negative nancy... and also go make these and let your mind be blown by the power of veggies (pleaseandthanks).

These guys have incredible flavour, are super packed with protein, and the creamy butternut squash means you don't even miss the cheese.

Check ch- check check check... Check it outttt:




Recipea:

Makes two quesadillas.

2 teaspoons vegan butter
2 medium whole wheat tortillas

1/2 can kidney beans
3 tablespoons salsa

1/2 small butternut squash
1/2 red pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil

3 tablespoons vegan mayo
2 teaspoons taco seasoning
1/4 teaspoon cumin
Pinch of hot paprika
Salt & pepper


Cut the pepper and butternut squash into thin strips and toss in olive oil, salt and pepper.
Bake in 200 degree (c) oven for 20-30 mins until fork tender and roasted and brown on the edges.

Smash kidney beans with a fork and add 2 tablespoons of salsa until a paste forms.

Combine vegan mayo, salsa, taco seasoning, cumin, paprika, and salt & pepper.

Heat skillet to medium high heat, lightly butter 1 side of the tortilla and place on the pan. Place bean mixture on half the tortilla and smooth down. Then layer a few slices of the butternut squash and red pepper over the beans and drizzle some of the sauce over the top. Fold over and press down lightly with a spatula. Heat 1-2 minutes (until tortilla is golden brown) then flip for 1-2 minutes.

Cut in thirds and serve with avocado and/or salsa.