Sam’s Sesame Coated Tofu & Green Bean Stir Fry

Vegetarian and Vegan friendly
Prep & cook time: 40 minutes + marinating time of 2 -12 hours
Serves 4

I love Japanese flavours, especially pickled ginger, which is a fabulous way of lifting a dish and keeping it lovely and fresh. Tofu is so often ignored or overlooked – but I see it as the perfect vehicle for other flavours. I’m fond of using the rice and grain medley as a staple for salads – it’s an excellent base for just about anything you like – be it roast winter vegetables and a bit of chevre; or folded together with some hot-smoked salmon, shaved fennel, capers and dill.

Tofu Stir Fry Ingredients

400g firm tofu
1 tbsp miso paste
Soy sauce
Sesame oil
1 lemon
2 cups Alison’s Pantry rice & grain medley
3 tbsp Alison’s Pantry ground almonds
2 tbsp Alison’s Pantry sesame seeds
2 tbsp flour
Salt and pepper
Cooking oil
Large handful of green beans
2 tbsp pickled ginger, finely sliced
1 spring onion, shredded
1 tsp Alison’s Pantry sesame seeds, to serve

Cut the tofu into 4cm chunks. Combine the miso paste with 2 tbsp of soy sauce and a tbsp of sesame oil and a squeeze of lemon. Drizzle over the tofu and gently toss together so that the pieces are well covered. Cover and pop in the fridge, leave to marinade for a couple of hours, or overnight, if possible.

Add the rice and grain medley to a saucepan, cover with water and leave to simmer gently over a moderate heat for 15 minutes. Drain once cooked.

In the meantime, combine the ground almond, sesame seed, flour and a generous seasoning of salt and pepper. Spread out on a plate and then dredge the tofu through so that it is covered on all sides.

Get a frying pan going over a moderately high heat. Add some oil, let it heat up and then gently fry the tofu until golden brown on all sides. Wipe down the pan, add a little sesame oil and quickly fry the green beans for several minutes. Add the rice and grain medley and quickly heat through, followed by a little soy sauce to taste and the ginger. Toss through the tofu pieces, then scatter over the spring onion and sesame seeds and serve.

Dal Makhani

Vegetarian and Vegan friendly
Prep & cook time: 35 mins
Serves 4-6

This so much more than just a lentil curry. It hails from the Punjab and was originally a royal dish. Nowadays it is popular all over India and it is easy to see why; for me it is classic comfort food. Don’t skimp on the cream as it absolutely defines the dish, making it rich and luxurious.

I rather like combining any leftovers into an oven proof pan with some sliced spring onion, coriander and a few sliced tomatoes, dropping a couple of eggs over the top and then quickly grilling until the eggs are only just cooked but still nice and runny. That – and a bit of flatbread to mop everything up with – makes for a perfect supper!

Makhani Dal

400g Alison’s Pantry brown lentils
Vegetable oil
2 onions, finely sliced
3 tsp cumin seeds
3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
Two thumb’s worth of ginger, peeled and finely chopped
4 tomatoes, chopped
150g butter
3 tbsp Alison’s Pantry ground almonds
½ cup cream or coconut cream
1-2 tsp chilli powder, to taste

To serve

Fresh coriander
3 tbsp Alison’s Pantry roast salted cashews, roughly chopped
Rice

In a large pan over a moderate heat, add several tablespoons of vegetable oil, followed by the onion. Fry gently for 5-8 minutes, until golden brown, then add the cumin seeds, garlic and ginger and continue to fry for several minutes until everything is starting to caramelise.

Add the tomatoes, cook for several more minutes, then add the lentils and 3 cups of water and bring up to a simmer. Leave to bubble away for about 10-15 minutes until the lentils are cooked and are starting to break down, then add the butter and the ground almonds. Continue to cook for several minutes until the mixture has thickened nicely. Adjust the seasoning, add as much chilli powder as you fancy, then stir in the cream.

Scatter the coriander and the cashews over the top, serve with rice and grain medley and perhaps a bit of yoghurt on the side.

Sam’s Kumara, Date & Almond Tagine

Vegetarian & Vegan friendly
Prep & cook time: 1 hr and 25 mins
Serves 4

A tagine may sound like a whole lot of exotic complication, but it’s surprisingly simple. Basically, it is a delicious vegetable stew, the longer you cook it the better. You don’t have to have a proper tagine dish to make one though; a lidded casserole dish will do superbly.

The thought of using dates in a savoury context may seem a bit strange, but that distinctly Moroccan combination of spices such as cinnamon, cumin and paprika acts as a beautiful foil for the sweetness. This is stunning winter comfort food, perhaps with a little spiced yoghurt as a garnish to counter the richness.

Tagine Ingredients

1kg kumara* scrubbed and chopped 3cm
2-3 tsp each cinnamon, ground cumin, ground coriander, turmeric, sweet paprika and cumin seeds
A thumb’s worth of ginger, peeled and finely chopped
Sea salt and cracked pepper
Olive oil
1 large onion, sliced
A handful of Alison’s Pantry select dates, roughly chopped
700ml vegetable stock
½ cup (50g) Alison’s Pantry ground almonds
2 carrots, roughly chopped
2 cups Alison’s Pantry jumbo chickpeas, cooked**

To Serve

3 tbsp Alison’s Pantry sliced natural almonds, toasted
A small handful of coriander leaves
Alison’s Pantry couscous

Preheat the oven to 180°C.

In a roasting dish, combine the kumara with the spices, ginger, a brave seasoning of salt and pepper and a couple of tablespoons of olive oil. Spread out in an even layer and roast for about 35-40 minutes, until the kumara is lovely and caramelised, and cooked through.

In a large, lidded casserole or large cooking pot, over a medium heat, add a glug of olive oil, let it heat up and gently cook the sliced onion for about 10 minutes until soft and golden brown, then follow with the chopped dates and cook for a further 5 minutes, until the dates have softened. Add the roasted kumara with the scrapings from the pan, the stock, ground almond, carrot and chickpeas, stir well, cover and cook for about 25 minutes. Season well to taste.

Whip up some couscous (1 cup couscous to 1 cup boiling water cover and leave for 5 minutes, will make enough for 4 serves), then flavour with a generous amount of butter, a bit of chopped coriander, some toasted cumin seeds and fluff with a fork.

Serve Tagine with the couscous and scatter over the flaked almonds and the coriander leaves This reheats well, so cook in advance if you fancy.

*Any variety of kumara can be used, or whole scrubbed yams are a great option for this dish.

** Chickpeas – soak overnight in a bowl with 5 cups of water. Rinse and place in a pot with plenty of water. Bring to the boil, then reduce heat to simmer and cook till tender, 1.5 – 2 hours.

Ideas to make more of the dish

This reheats well, so cook in advance if you fancy.

The possibilities for leftovers are many

Use as a filling for a pie
Add several lightly beaten eggs to the cold mix and fry off dollops as fritters, excellent with a bit of spiced yoghurt.

Kelly’s Curried Vege Fritters

Vegetarian friendly
Prep and cook time: 45 minutes
Serves 4

These irresistible, tasty fritters are one of my favourite suppers. The warm spices and hearty salad have the bright flavours that I love on a cold winter’s night.

Fritters

¾ cup Alison’s Pantry rice & grains medley*
3 large leaves kale, stems removed
3 free range eggs
1 carrot medium, grated
1 cup pumpkin, grated
1 spring onion, green part finely sliced
¾ cup flour (can use regular flour, spelt flour or GF flour)
¾ cup Alison’s Pantry roast unsalted cashews, roughly chopped
1 tsp curry powder
1 tsp cumin powder
½ tsp garlic powder
1 tsp sea salt
Cracked black pepper to taste
Oil for frying

Winter Slaw

½ medium green cabbage
1 carrot medium, grated
¼ cup Alison’s Pantry sultanas or raisins
½ cup Alison’s Pantry walnuts, roughly chopped
¼ cup mayonnaise
Juice of 1 lemon
Handful fresh mint leaves, roughly chopped

Use a sharp knife or a mandolin to thinly shred the cabbage. Combine in a bowl with the other winter slaw ingredients and stir well. Taste and season generously. Place in the fridge if not eating within an hour (otherwise fine to leave on the bench).

Place the rice & grains medley in a medium saucepan along with ¾ cup of water. Bring to a boil and cook for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and place a lid on tightly. Leave to sit for 5 minutes.

Remove the lid and allow to cool for 30 minutes (the rice can be cooked the night before to make assembly quicker).

Chop the kale finely. Combine with the cooked rice and all the remaining ingredients. Mix well and season generously.

Heat a generous glug of oil in a sauté pan over a medium heat. Cook ¼ cups of batter for 2-3 minutes on each side until golden brown. Keep fritters warm in an oven heated to 80 degrees. Repeat the process until all the batter is used.

Leftover fritters and salad can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 2 days.

*Alternative grain

Quinoa works very well in this recipe also. Simply replace the rice (and rice prep) with 1 ½ cups of cooked quinoa. You can cook the quinoa up to 24 hours in advance to make the fritter prep easier.

Idea’s to make more of the dish

Leftover fritters are delicious as a vegetarian burger patty. Wrap in a lettuce leaf or sandwich between your favourite bun. Pair with some spicy chutney, some hummus and fresh salad greens
Ditch your usual toast and use these fritters as a base for scrambled or poached eggs. This is a fabulous brunch dish!
Break reheated fritters up into chunks and scatter over a big green salad for a yummy lunch.

Lemon Mousse ‘Cheesecake’

Vegetarian and Vegan friendly
Prep time: 45 minutes
Serves 12

You won’t believe this gorgeous creamy and decadent cheesecake is plant-based and it’s rather nutritious for a dessert! The base is a decadent blend of natural nuts and coconut and the filling gives you lusciously creamy cashews and coconut yoghurt bursting with the tart zing of fresh lemons (this one is good and lemony). It takes a little prep to soak the cashews, but I promise it’s well worth it – this is a very special dessert that everyone will enjoy whether they eat dairy or not.

Cheesecake Base

1 ½ cups Alison’s Pantry deluxe natural nuts
1 cup Alison’s Pantry shredded coconut
¾ cup Alison’s Pantry wholegrain oats
1/3 cup Alison’s Pantry sultanas
Zest of 1 lemon, plus 2 tsp juice
1 tbsp coconut oil
¼ tsp salt

Cheesecake Filling

2 cups Alison’s Pantry natural cashews (pre-soaked, in water for at least 4 hours – or overnight in the fridge, then drained and well rinsed)
½ cup lemon juice
½ cup coconut oil, melted
½ cup caster sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
¾ tsp salt
1 ¼ cups thick (Greek-style) coconut yoghurt
Zest of 4 lemons
1 x 400g can chickpeas

Cheesecake Topping

Berries of your choice

Line the base and sides of a 23cm tin with baking paper.

Add the base ingredients to a food processor and whizz until you have a nice fine crumb – tilting the processor sometimes helps it blend better. It will probably need a good couple of minutes, process until the mixture gums a bit when you press it between your fingers. Tip out into the prepared tin and flatten into an even layer.

Add to the food processor prepared cashews, lemon juice, coconut oil, sugar, vanilla and salt. Whizz on high for a few minutes (scrape down the sides once or twice) until the mixture silky smooth – it may take a while. Scrape the mixture into a large mixing bowl.

Add the coconut yoghurt and lemon zest to the bowl, and fold to combine.

Drain the tin of chickpeas so the liquid (aquafaba) goes straight into another medium mixing bowl (keep the chickpeas to use in another recipe). Using an electric beater, beat on high for a good few minutes, until the mixture is super thick and voluminous, white and fluffy, and forms very stiff peaks. Add ¼ cup of the aquafaba fluff to the cashew mixture and fold with a spatula to aerate it. Then add about three-quarters of the remaining fluff and fold in to evenly combine (if you add the whole lot that’s fine, it will just be a very light cheesecake texture).

Scrape the lemon mixture into the tin on top of the base and smooth out. Cover tightly and freeze for 4-5 hours, or overnight.

To serve, remove from the freezer about half an hour beforehand. (If you need to wait longer than that you can put it in the fridge it will keep its shape perfectly). Pull off the paper and adorn the top with berries of your choice. Dust with icing sugar. Use a hot sharp knife to cut into slices.

Chelsea’s helpful tips

You can freeze the cheesecake (unadorned) for up to a month – just make sure it’s tightly sealed so it doesn’t taste like the freezer.

If you have a bullet/high speed blender, you can use this for the cashew mixture as it will give a silkier texture. You may need to do the mixture in two lots, though.

Once it’s been frozen, it will keep covered in the fridge for a few days. You don’t have to store it in the freezer.

If you can’t find fresh berries, some half-defrosted blueberries will work fine.

Veggie Burgers

Vegetarian & Vegan friendly
Prep & cook time: 60 minutes
Makes 6 patties

Burger Patties

⅓ cup brown rice
¾ cup Alison’s Pantry brown lentils
1 brown onion, finely chopped
250g Portobello mushrooms, finely chopped
¾ cup grated beetroot
½ cup Alison’s Pantry wholegrain oats
¼ cup flour
1 tbsp Alison’s Pantry chia seeds
1 ½ tsp paprika
1 ½ tsp vegetable stock powder
¾ tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp salt
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 tbsp tomato paste

Burger Fillings

6 burger buns
Mayonnaise (store-bought or make your own vegan friendly mayo, see below)
Crunchy cos or iceberg lettuce leaves
Thinly sliced red onion
Sliced gherkins or pickle
Mustard & ketchup
Cheese or Vegan cheese (optional)

In a large pot add the rice and 4 cups of lightly salted water (big enough to let the lentils double or triple in). Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes. Add the lentils, cover and simmer for a further 25-30 minutes or so, or until the lentils are tender. Drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, heat 2 tbsp oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring every now and then, for 7-10 minutes until softened. Add the mushrooms, beetroot and a big pinch of salt and cook for another 10 minutes or, stirring frequently, or until the mixture is mushy and reduced. Set aside.

Whizz the oats, flour, chia seed, paprika, stock powder, pepper and salt in a processor until fine. Add to a large mixing bowl along with drained lentils and rice, the onion mixture, garlic and tomato paste. Mix vigorously to combine so you mush the lentils and rice up a bit and get it the mixture nice and sticky. It might look too wet right now but that’s OK. Cover and refrigerate for half an hour (or until needed).

Preheat the oven to 180c on fan bake.

Shape the mixture into 6 patties (using clean damp hands so the mixture doesn’t stick). Arrange on a baking tray and bake in the oven for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to sit for 15 minutes – or cover and leave as long as you need.

When ready to serve, fry the patties in a little oil over medium-high heat for about minute each side, until browned and crispy – they won’t need long.

Serve on lightly grilled buns halves (you can spread them with dairy-free spread or butter first if you like) topped generously with your choice of condiments and fillings (see mayo recipe).

Lovely served with oven baked chips and tomato sauce.

Sam’s Persian Love Cake

Vegetarian friendly
Prep & cook time: 45 minutes
Serves 6-8

This is one of my favourite treats, which coming from a sweet tooth is saying something. It’s similar to a cheesecake, but so at the same time much better than a cheesecake! Flavoured delicately with nutmeg and lemon. Using yoghurt instead of cream cheese means that you have a much lighter, fresher end result. Give it time to set in the fridge before serving; this will also make it much easier to cut. Chop and change with the dried fruit and nuts as you see fit – anything will do according to your taste.

Persian Cake

360g Alison’s Pantry ground almonds (approximately 3 cups)
320g brown sugar
50g Alison’s Pantry select dates, chopped
50g Alison’s Pantry figs, chopped
120g soft butter
2 eggs, lightly beaten
250g Greek yoghurt
1 tbsp grated nutmeg
Zest of 2 lemons
½ tsp vanilla paste
1 tsp vanilla essence
50g Alison’s Pantry shelled pistachios, chopped roughly

Preheat the oven to 180ºC.

Grease a 23cm springform tin with a little butter and line with baking paper.

Soak the dates in some boiling water for five minutes or so, then drain well and chop roughly.

In a food processor, blend the chopped dates and figs to get them relatively fine, then add the ground almonds, brown sugar, butter and a pinch of salt and blend until everything is properly combined.

Press half of this mixture evenly around the bottom of the lined tin. I find a flat bottomed water glass is a useful thing for this.

To the remaining mixture, add the eggs, yoghurt, nutmeg, lemon zest and vanilla paste and process until it is nice and smooth. Pour this mixture over the top of the base, smooth off, and scatter the pistachios over the top.

Bake for about 30 minutes until the top is lovely and golden. Allow to cool in the tin before removing and serving.

Kelly’s Herby Quinoa Salad

Vegetarian & Vegan friendly
Prep & cook time: 35 minutes
Serves 4 (main)
Serves 6 (side dish)

Everyone needs a salad like this in their repertoire. This hardworking dish is great for dinner, lovely as a packed lunch and if stored properly in the fridge, will last a couple of days.

The dish is vegan as I’ve written, and I love it just on its own, but it’s also delicious with a little feta or goat cheese crumbled through it, served with marinated tofu or tempeh on top or with some pan-fried fish as part of a shared meal with friends.

Use this recipe as inspiration and add your own favourite ingredients.

Salad

2 cups Alison’s Pantry quinoa
3 cups vegetable stock
1 cup frozen edamame beans (buy the ones already podded)
½ cup Alison’s Pantry natural pistachios, roughly chopped
½ cup Alison’s Pantry unsalted roasted cashews, roughly chopped
½ cup roughly chopped sundried tomatoes
½ cup pitted kalamata olives – roughly chopped
3 stems kale – spine removed and finely chopped

Dressing

½ cup Alison’s Pantry pine nuts
150ml olive oil
60ml lemon or lime juice
1 small garlic clove – finely chopped
1 packed cup parley or basil (or a combo of both is nice)
Sea salt and cracked black pepper

Place the barley and stock into a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook with a lid slightly ajar for 20 minutes. Place the lid on tightly and leave to sit for 10 minutes while the remaining stock is absorbed.

Leave the barley to come to room temperature or chill in the fridge. You can speed this up by spreading on a couple of plates.

Toast the pine nuts in a dry skillet over a medium heat until lightly golden.

Add to a small food processor or use a hand blender to blitz together with all the dressing ingredients until fairly smooth. Taste and season well.

Cover the edamame beans in boiling water and leave for 5 minutes. Drain well.

Combine the cooled barley, nuts, edamame beans, sundried tomatoes, olives and kale. Stir well. Drizzle over the dressing and toss to coat evenly. Taste salad and season again if necessary.

Note

It’s important that the barley is properly cooled when mixed with the other ingredients or the dressing will be absorbed into the grain and leave the salad dry.

**To replace the barley with quinoa.

Place 1 ½ cups of Alison’s Pantry quinoa that has been rinsed well, into a medium saucepan with 3 cups of vegetable stock. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook, with a lid slightly ajar for 15 minutes, until tender and the liquid has been absorbed. Remove from the heat, place the lid on tight and leave to sit for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and then cool as per the recipe.

Seedy Cheddar Loaf

This nutrient-dense and incredibly tasty loaf makes a fabulous brunch dish. Enjoy it just as it is or slather with pesto and avocado. Try it with scrambled eggs on top too! Eat it fresh on the day you make it and after that pop it in the toaster to crisp up.

5 free-range eggs – lightly beaten
1 garlic clove – finely diced
1 rounded teaspoon gluten-free baking powder
¼ cup Alison’s Pantry hemp seeds
2 ¼ cups Alison’s Pantry ground almonds
1 cup grated kumara – squeezed tightly to remove liquid
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
½ cup sliced black olives
8 sundried tomatoes – cut into ribbons
Large handful fresh basil or parsley – roughly chopped
¾ teaspoon salt
Cracked black pepper
To garnish: hemp, pumpkin and sesame seeds, additional sliced black olives

Preheat oven to 165 degrees Celsius

Mix the eggs, garlic, baking powder, almond meal and hemp seeds together in a large bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and stir until well combined.

Grease and line a 23cm loaf pan. Use a spatula to fill the tin with the loaf batter and smooth the surface. Sprinkle with seeds and additional black olives.

Bake for 50–60 minutes until golden and a skewer comes out clean when inserted.

Leave to cool for 45 minutes before slicing. Can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for up to four days.

Egg-free Mayo

Vegan & vegetarian friendly

1 cup Alison’s Pantry natural cashews, (soaked in water for at least 6 hours or overnight, drained and well rinsed)
2 tbsp grapeseed, sunflower or rice bran oil
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 tsp Dijon mustard
¼ cup water
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp ground black or white pepper

Add prepared cashews to a high-speed processor/bullet along with the remaining ingredients and blend until smooth and creamy. Season to taste.

Store in a jar or airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.

Kelly’s Roasted Portobello’s & Herby Quinoa Balls

Vegetarian friendly
Prep and cook time: 45 minutes
Serves 4 (makes 16-20 balls)

This tasty vegetarian roast dinner is a fun, modern way to approach a traditional concept. The quinoa and walnut balls are a hearty, nutritious (and really delicious) mix of ingredients. It’s way too easy to just keep eating them!

Herby Quinoa & Walnut Balls

1 ½ cups cooked Alison’s Pantry quinoa
¾ cup Alison’s Pantry walnuts, finely chopped
½ cup Alison’s Pantry ground almonds
Large handful fresh parsley, finely chopped
¾ cup finely grated parmesan cheese
3 free range eggs, lightly whisked
Olive oil to drizzle over balls

Roasted Mushrooms

8 large Portobello mushrooms
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
¼ cup olive oil
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 tsp finely chopped fresh rosemary
Sea salt and cracked black pepper