Midweek Meals: Comfy vegan meals for the cold weather

Pies, pastries, chocolate chilli and a banoffee treat - here's a cozy selection of vegan recipes for autumn

Vegan shepherd's pie - a meat-free take on the old favourite

Vegan sausage rolls

This recipe also uses the one thing that I can never make myself: puff pastry. Believe me, I’ve tried, but it’s impossible! Luckily you can just pick up a roll of vegan puff pastry in most supermarkets

Servings

12

Preparation Time

 10 mins

Cooking Time

 30 mins

Total Time

 40 mins

Course

 Side

Ingredients

• 1 x 400g tin of chickpeas, drained and rinsed

• 50g pecans

• 50g whole almonds

• 1 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for drizzling

• 1⁄2 a large onion, peeled and grated

• 1⁄2 an apple, grated (skin on is fine)

• 1 large garlic clove, peeled and crushed

• 1 sprig of fresh rosemary, needles stripped and chopped

• 1 sprig of fresh thyme, leaves stripped and chopped

• 2 tbsp nutritional yeast (optional)

• 2 tbsp tomato purée

• 1 tbsp tamari or soy sauce

• 1 sheet of vegan puff pastry

• handful of sesame seeds

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line a baking tray with non-stick baking paper.

2. Put the chickpeas in a food processor and blend until smooth(ish). There will still be some chickpeas visible and it will be a thick, lumpy paste. Spoon into a bowl.

3. Put the pecans and almonds in a high-speed blender (such as a NutriBullet) and mill into a chunky flour. Set aside.

4. Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium-high heat. Toss in the onion, apple and garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Add the herbs and cook for a further 1 to 2 minutes, until the onion is golden and softened. Add to the chickpeas and stir to combine.

5. Add the milled nuts to the chickpea mixture along with the nutritional yeast (if using), tomato purée and the tamari or soy sauce and stir again into a thick dough. It will be a little wet, but it should still be easy to roll with your hands.

6. Unroll the pastry sheet onto a clean board and slice it lengthways to make two long strips of pastry, stretching it just a little bit on each side using your hands. Spoon the chickpea mixture into the middle and mould it into a long sausage shape. Fold the pastry over the filling, then press the edges of the pastry with your fingers, sealing it tight. Slice into 12 mini sausage rolls.

7. Carefully lift the rolls onto the lined baking tray. Drizzle with a little olive oil, then sprinkle over the sesame seeds. Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes, until golden around the edges.
   
   No Fuss Vegan by Roz Purcell, published by Penguin Ireland (€25)

Vegan cottage pie with sweet potato mash

This classic, comforting family supper bursting with delicate vegetables is also delicious the next day (if there are leftovers!)

Servings

6

Preparation Time

 20 mins

Cooking Time

 40 mins

Total Time

 60 mins

Course

 Main

Ingredients

• 2 carrots or parsnips

• 100g green beans 

• 3 tins of cooked Puy lentils, or other green or brown lentils 

• 6 sprigs of fresh thyme 

• 2 bay leaves a pinch of salt 

• 3 tablespoons tamari/soy sauce 

• 750ml veg stock 

• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper 

• For the mash:

• 750g sweet potatoes 

• 250g potatoes 

• 1 tsp salt 

• 100ml milk 

• a pinch of ground black pepper 

• For the coriander cream:

• 100g cashew nuts 

• 65ml water 

• 15g fresh coriander 

• 1⁄3 teaspoon garlic powder 

• ½ teaspoon salt 

• 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar 

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC fan/200°C.

2. Put the cashew nuts into a bowl, cover with boiling water and leave to soak for 10 minutes.

3. Chop the sweet potatoes and regular potatoes into uniform bite-size pieces so that they will cook evenly. Put them into a medium pan, cover with water, bring to the boil and cook until soft, about 20–25 minutes.

4. Grate the carrots or parsnips. Trim the green beans and cut them in half.

5. Drain and rinse the lentils. Pick the leaves off the thyme sprigs.

6. Put another medium pan on a high heat and add the grated carrot or parsnip. Add the thyme leaves, bay leaves and a pinch of salt, mix well, and cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the drained lentils and the tamari/soy sauce, then slowly add the veg stock. Add the black pepper, bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer, letting the stock slowly evaporate for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

7. Meanwhile, make the coriander cream. Drain and rinse the soaked cashew nuts. Put them into a blender with the rest of the coriander cream ingredients (reserving a few coriander leaves for garnish) and blend until nice and smooth.

8. If the lentil mixture is dry once it has thickened, add 2 tablespoons of water and ½ tablespoon of tamari/soy sauce and season. Add the green beans and stir them through the hot lentil mixture, letting them cook for a minute or two. Remove from the heat and set aside.

9. Drain the potatoes, then put them back into the pan and add 1 teaspoon of salt and the milk. Mash it all together until lovely and smooth.

10. Remove the bay leaves from the lentil and veg mixture, then spoon into a 28cm x 20cm baking dish. Drizzle over half the coriander cream, and distribute the sweet potato mash evenly on top. Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes, until the top crisps.

11. Before serving, drizzle over the rest of the coriander cream and garnish with the reserved coriander leaves.
    The Happy Health Plan by David and Stephen Flynn (The Happy Pear) is published by Penguin Life and is out now.