Midweek Meals: Five plant-based winter comfort meals for World Vegan Month

It's World Vegan Month, and whether you're curious about an animal-free diet, or serving up meals for just one at the dinner table, you won't go wrong with these quick and easy recipes

Who says vegan fare can't be quick, comforting or tasty?

Crispy Korean-style ‘chicken’ wings

recipe by:Bosh!

Perfect with an ice-cold beer.

Servings

4

Preparation Time

 15 mins

Cooking Time

 15 mins

Total Time

 30 mins

Course

 Side

Ingredients

• For the sticky marinade:

• 4 garlic cloves

• 2.5cm piece of fresh ginger

• 150g gochujang

• 120ml toasted sesame oil

• 2tbsp rice vinegar

• 2tbsp light soy sauce

• 4tbsp light brown sugar

• ¼tsp ground white pepper

• For the chicken:

• 2 x 280g blocks extra-firm tofu

• 6tbsp cornflour

• ½tsp sea salt

• ¼tsp ground white pepper

• Vegetable oil, for shallow frying

• For the garnish:

• 1 fresh chilli or a pinch of dried chilli flakes

• 1 spring onion

• A few toasted sesame seeds, for sprinkling

Method

1. Make the marinade. Peel the garlic and ginger and grate with a fine grater or microplane. Combine with the rest of the ingredients and either blitz in a blender or combine in a bowl and stir into a nice smooth paste.

2. Prepare the chicken. Press the tofu to remove excess liquid. Tear the tofu into rough chunks about three x two centimetres. Add the tofu to a mixing bowl along with half the marinade and fold to coat. Sprinkle the cornflour, salt and pepper into the bowl and fold to coat and combine, making sure the tofu is really well covered.

3. Cook the chicken. Pour one centimetre of oil into a frying pan and heat over a medium-high heat until the oil bubbles around the end of a wooden spoon that’s held in the oil. Carefully lower the tofu chunks into the hot oil and cook for two to three minutes until golden and crispy, turning them regularly to ensure a really even cook. Remove carefully and drain on a plate lined with kitchen paper.

4. Finish the dish. Put the remaining marinade into a saucepan, bring to a simmer and cook until thick and shiny. Add the cooked tofu to the sauce and quickly fold it through to ensure a good coverage. Spoon the tofu into a serving bowl.

5. Trim and thinly slice the spring onion for the garnish and finely chop the chilli (if using fresh chilli). Garnish the tofu with the chilli or chilli flakes, spring onion and toasted sesame seeds and serve immediately with some cold beers!

BBQ smash burger recipe

recipe by:Bosh!

You won’t miss meat with this flavour-packed plant-based dish.

Servings

4

Preparation Time

 20 mins

Cooking Time

 25 mins

Total Time

 45 mins

Course

 Main

Ingredients

• For the patties:

• 4 echalion shallots

• 2tbsp olive oil, plus extra for greasing your hands

• 1tbsp brown sugar

• 600g plant-based mince

• 50g breadcrumbs

• 50g BBQ sauce

• Sea salt and black pepper

• For the burgers:

• 4-8 plant-based brioche buns

• 4tbsp olive oil

• 1 romaine lettuce

• 1 beef tomato (or large tomato)

• 4tbsp plant-based mayonnaise

• 4tbsp BBQ sauce

• 4-8 plant-based cheese slices

• Crispy fried onions

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C.

2. Make the patties. Peel and finely dice the shallots. Place a frying pan over a medium heat and add the olive oil. Once warm, add the shallots and a pinch of salt. Mix well and cook for three to four minutes until soft. Add the brown sugar to the pan and cook for a further three to four minutes until the shallots have caramelised. Once cooked, take the pan off the heat, spoon the shallots into a bowl and leave to cool for a few minutes. To the bowl, add the plant-based mince, breadcrumbs, BBQ sauce and season with salt and pepper. Mix until well combined.

3. Shape the patties. Lightly oil your hands and shape the mixture into four plump patties or eight smaller patties. Set the patties out on a lined baking tray and ‘smash’ them with the base of a wide, flat-bottomed glass – if needed you can shape the sides neatly using your hands. Cook in the oven for 25 minutes.

4. Prepare the remaining ingredients. Halve the brioche buns. Drizzle the cut sides with the olive oil and toast in the frying pan over a high heat until golden brown. Remove the core of the lettuce and shred the leaves. Thinly slice the tomato. In a small bowl, mix together the plant-based mayo and BBQ sauce until smooth.

5. Finish the burgers. After 25 minutes, remove the tray from the oven. Place the plant-based cheese slices on top of the burger patties and return the tray to the oven for one minute to melt the cheese.

6. Time to serve. Cover one half of the burger buns with the BBQ mayo. Take the patties out of the oven and transfer to the burger buns. Dress the burgers with sliced lettuce, tomato and crispy fried onions. Close the burgers and serve immediately.

10 minute lentil dahl

recipe by:Ciara McDonnell

Who needs convenience food when you can make this Indian classic in just ten minutes?

Servings

6

Cooking Time

 10 mins

Total Time

 10 mins

Course

 Main

Cuisine

 Indian

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp coconut oil

• 1 tsp ground turmeric

• 1 tbsp curry powder

• 1/2 tsp red chilli flakes

• 1 onion, diced

• 2 tomatoes, chopped

• 4 cloves garlic, crushed

• 1 thumb-sized piece of ginger, grated

• 1 thumb-sized piece of turmeric, grated or

• 2 tins cooked lentils

• 2 tins coconut milk

• Salt

• bunch fresh coriander, chopped

• To serve:

• Naan bread, rice or quinoa

Method

1. On a high heat, melt the coconut oil in a heavy-based pan.

2. Add the spices and the onions and cook, stirring, for three minutes. Add the tomatoes, garlic, chilli and ginger and cook for a further two minutes until they are fragrant.

3. Add the drained lentils and coconut milk to the pan, stir and bring to a gentle simmer.

4. Cook for five minutes, taste and season generously with salt.

5. Before serving, stir in some freshly chopped coriander and serve with naan bread, quinoa or rice.

6. You can use dried red lentils instead of tinned ones, but make sure to rinse well before adding to the pot, topping up the liquid with an extra tin of water.

7. Adjust the cooking time by adding ten minutes and whisk well before serving.
   
   Recipe note: To add more protein to this dahl, add a tin of mixed beans or chickpeas with your lentils.

Claire Ptak’s vegan chocolate chip cookies

recipe by:Claire Ptak

Going plant-based doesn’t have to mean you miss out on all your favourite treats. (Love Is A Pink Cake by Claire Ptak is published by Square Peg)

Servings

18

Preparation Time

 15 mins

Cooking Time

 14 mins

Total Time

 29 mins

Course

 Baking

Ingredients

• 1tbsp ground flaxseeds

• 60g oat milk

• 455g plain flour

• 60g rolled oats

• 1¼tsp baking powder

• 1tsp bicarbonate of soda

• 1tsp fine sea salt

• 250g plant-based butter

• 250g soft light brown sugar

• 150g caster sugar

• 1tsp vanilla extract

• 250g vegan chocolate, broken into 1cm pieces

• Flaky sea salt, to finish

Method

1. Soak the ground flaxseeds in the oat milk and set aside.

2. Whisk together the flour, oats, baking powder, bicarb and salt in a bowl and set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the vegan butter and both sugars until creamy. Beat in the flax mixture and vanilla, then add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Finally, add the chocolate and mix once again.

3. Use an ice cream scoop to portion out 18 cookies onto a tray. Chill or freeze for at least one hour. (You can also store the unbaked cookies in the freezer and bake as needed.)

4. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 170°C fan/190°C/375°F/gas mark 5. Line one or two large baking sheets with baking paper and arrange the dough evenly on the trays, leaving enough space between each one so they have room to expand during baking (they almost double in size). If you are baking from frozen, allow the cookies five minutes out of the freezer before placing in the oven.

5. Sprinkle a few flakes of sea salt over the top of each cookie and then bake for 12-14 minutes, until the centre of each cookie is slightly soft and underbaked but the edges are crisp and golden. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the tray for 10 minutes before eating.

Vegan cherry muffins

recipe by:Michelle Darmody

Vinegar reacts with bread soda to add air to cakes.

Servings

12

Preparation Time

 10 mins

Cooking Time

 30 mins

Total Time

 40 mins

Course

 Baking

Ingredients

• 130g golden caster sugar

• 230mls almond milk

• 80mls olive oil

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• ½ tsp sea salt

• 250g self raising flour

• 1 tsp bread soda

• 1 tbs cider vinegar

• 220g of cherries (either fresh destoned or frozen)

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 180°C and place 12 paper cases into a muffin tin.

2. Stir the sugar, almond milk, olive oil and vanilla together until well combined and the sugar is starting to dissolve.

3. Stir the salt into the flour and add this to the wet ingredients.

4. Mix the cider vinegar and bread soda and just when it begins to bubble stir it into the mixture. Stir in the cherries.

5. Spoon the mixture between the paper cases and bake for 30 minutes or until baked through. Once cool enough to handle place onto a wire rack to cool completely.