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Rebel Recipes: Niki Webster guides us through the future of veganism

From avocado pizza to rainbow coleslaw, vegan recipes has a new master creator

Nikki Webster
Wednesday 13 July 2016 13:45 BST
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Quick Harissa Lentils with Roast Squash and Tahini Dressing (recipe below)
Quick Harissa Lentils with Roast Squash and Tahini Dressing (recipe below)

People want to know the origins of what they’re eating – from where it was grown to who planted the seeds – and organic produce has these values at its core. Author and creator of Rebel Recipes is Niki Webster who wants to show that eating a nutricious and healthy meal is just as cheap as buying a processed ready meal.

She encourages people to make their meals from scratch, allowing you to know exactly what goes into it – leaving out additives, preservatives and refined sugar, rebelling against the confusing world of diet fads to get back to simple food.

Inspired by Asian food, including Indian Thalis, huge mezzes and Thai flavours, her vegan recipes have been perfected over the years. She is also the winner of this year's Soil Association BOOM (Best of Organic Market) Awards Food Blogger Category.

Super Green Avocado Pizza (Vegan & Gluten Free)

Ingredients
1 ripe avocado
Squeeze lemon juice
1/2 cup buckwheat organic buckwheat flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
Pinch sea salt
Twist black pepper
Water

Toppings
Olives
Toasted pine nuts
Rocket

Remove the flesh of the avocado and add to a medium-sized bowl. Mash up the avocado, then remove half and add it to another bowl. Add a squeeze of lemon and salt and pepper to one bowl. To the other bowl add in the buckwheat flour, baking powder and salt and pepper. Mix throughly, then keep adding a little water and mixing until you get a dough (if it’s too sticky add some more flour). Flour a chopping board, then knead the dough for a couple of minutes. Form the dough into a disc shape with your fingers by pressing into shape. Heat a frying pan to medium to high heat and carefully add the pizza base to the pan with a spatular. Cook on each side for a couple of minutes, then remove from the pan. Top with smashed avocado, olives, pine nuts and rocket (or toppings of your choice).

Rainbow Pad Thai Salad with Tofu Scramble

Serves: 2 Prep time: 20 minutes Cook time: 10 minutes

Dressing
3 tbsp sesame oil
2 rice wine vinegar
1tbsp tamari
Knob ginger
Handful coriander
1/2 tsp chilli flakes
2 carrots
1 beetroot
1 courgette
1 tsp sesame oil

Tofu scramble
2 garlic cloves slice
Knob grated ginger
Chilli flakes
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 pack organic silken tofu
1 tsp tamari
Squeeze lemon juice
1/2 tsp Himalayan salt
Black pepper

Toppings
1 cup edamame – defrosted by running them under hot water
Handful mint
Handful coriander
Peanuts and cashews

Add all the dressing ingredients to a jar and shake to combine. To make the tofu scramble, heat the olive oil in a small frying pan and add the spring onions. Fry until soft and browning. Add the garlic, turmeric, cumin seeds, salt and pepper. Cook for a further minute. Next, add the tofu and mix everything to combine. Finally, add the tamari, chili flakes, any further salt and pepper if you think it needs it and a squeeze of lemon juice.Spiralize the veggies and the add the sesame oil to a large frying pan. Heat to a medium heat, then add in the veg. Sauté for a few minutes to soften the transfer to two large bowls. Stir in the dressing, then top with the edamame, mint, coriander and nuts.

Roast Aubergine with Rainbow Slaw and Pea & Avocado Hummus

Serves: 2 Prep time: 20 minutes Cook time: 15 minutes

Pea & Avocado ingredients
1 avocado
1 cup peas defrosted by running them under a hot tap.
Handful mint and coriander
1 tbsp tahini
Juice 1 lemon
1/2 tsp sea salt
Twist black pepper
1/3 cup water
2 aubergines sliced in half
1 tbsp olive oil

Slaw ingredients
1/2 red cabbage sliced
2 beetroots sliced thinly
1 pepper chopped up
3 spring onions chopped
Handful seeds – I used sunflower and pumpkin
Handful rocket

Dressing ingredients
2 tbsp olive oil
4 tbsp organic apple cider vinegar
2 tsp dijon mustard
2 tsp maple syrup
Pinch sea salt
Twist black pepper

 

To make the avocado and pea hummus, add all the ingredients to your food processor and blitz until smooth and creamy. Set aside. To make the rainbow slaw, add all the chopped veggies to a large bowl and mix. Pop the dressing ingredients into a jar with a lid. Close the jar, then shake to combine. Pour the dressing over the veg and stir to combine. To make the griddled aubergine, heat your griddle pan, large frying pan or BBQ to a medium-to-high heat. Coat the sliced aubergines in a little olive oil, then place them skin side down on the griddle. Turn the aubergines every few minutes until the they are lovely and charred on the outside and soft in the inside. Top the aubergines with the avocado and pea hummus and lots of crunchy slaw.

Quick Harissa Lentils with Roast Squash and Tahini Dressing

Serves: 2 Prep time: 15 minutes Cook time: 1 hr

1 small organic butternut squash chopped into cubes
1 onion roughly chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic sliced
1 can of organic pre cooked green lentils (or cook 1 cup as per cooking instructions)
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1 tbsp Harissa paste
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
Salt and pepper
Handful green olives
Handful toasted pine nut
Tahini dressing

To roast the squash; Preheat the oven to 220C/200C Fan/Gas Mark 7. Add your squash with the olive oil and salt & pepper. Spread out on a roasting tray. Roast for 40-50 minutes, until the squash is crisp and has turned golden brown. Add the olive oil to a large frying pan and heat to low/medium, then add the chopped onion. Fry your onion for approx 10 minutes until soft and browning. Add in the garlic, cumin seeds, paprika and Harissa and stir for a few minutes until fragrant. Add the cooked lentils, olives and red wine vinegar and stir to combine and heat through. Season with salt and pepper, then pop into two bowls. Top with the roast squash and drizzle with tahini dressing and toasted pine nuts.

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