Veganuary 2021: Three recipes to help nail the challenge

Taking on the January challenge? Try one of these dishes when you need inspiration in the kitchen

Once you try homemade falafel you’ll never want shop-bought ones again (iStock)

One-pot harissa baked falafel from ‘Vegan Fakeaway’ by Katy Beskow

Shop-bought falafel are convenient, but rarely live up to the hot-from-the-fryer version. This 30-minute recipe also delivers delicious Middle Eastern flavours – all in one pot. Load into toasted pitta breads, or use them to dip into the spiced sauce – the choice is yours.

Serves 4

1 x 400g can chopped tomatoes
2 tsp harissa paste
1 small red onion, thinly sliced into rings
12 pitted green olives
8 ready-to-eat vegan falafel
Handful of flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
Generous pinch of sea salt
1 tbsp unsweetened soya yoghurt
4 pitta breads, toasted

Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/gas mark 6.

Put the chopped tomatoes into a lidded ovenproof dish and stir through the harissa paste. Stir in the red onion and olives. Place the falafel in the tomato mix, ensuring the top half of each one is visible. This will allow them to brown and crisp gently.

Place the lid on the dish, then bake in the oven for 30 minutes until the sauce is bubbling and the falafel are golden. Carefully remove the lid and scatter over the parsley and sea salt. Spoon over the soya yoghurt and serve hot with toasted pitta breads.

Take-out tip

Ready-to-eat falafel are available in the deli aisles at most supermarkets, but do ensure they are egg and dairy-free.

‘Vegan Fakeaway’ by Katy Beskow (Quadrille, Hardback & eBook)

Faux tuna melt toastie from the ‘7 Day Vegan Challenge’ by Bettina Campolucci Bordi

Easy cheesy: this toastie will make you drool (iStock)

I have always loved sandwich fillers, especially creamy mayonnaise ones, and that will not change. So this faux-tuna recipe came about for completely selfish reasons.

Makes 4 toasties

240g drained tinned artichokes, chopped
4 cornichons, chopped
1 carrot, grated
4 tbsps plant mayo or shop-bought
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
juice of ½ lemon
1 tbsp chopped dill
4 slices of sourdough or good quality gluten-free bread
olive oil, for brushing
2 pieces of melty plant cheese (optional)
salt and freshly cracked black pepper

Start off by putting the artichokes, cornichons, carrot, mayonnaise, mustard, lemon juice and dill in a bowl, season with salt and pepper and give it a good mix. Brush both sides of the bread with oil, then spread two slices with the mix, put a slice of plant cheese on top and seal the sandwich with the other slices of bread.

Get a frying pan nice and hot with a splash of olive oil. Put your sandwiches in the pan and fry for about 5 minutes until a nice crispy brown forms on the base before flipping and browning the other side. Place on a cutting board and slice in the middle. Eat immediately but be careful you don’t burn your mouth.

Recipe from ‘7 Day Vegan Challenge’ by Bettina Campolucci Bordi (Hardie Grant, £15)

Creamy mac and greens from ‘BOSH!’ by Henry Firth and Ian Theasby

This vegan take on an all-time classic will wow at your next dinner party (iStock)

This is our take on one of the world’s most popular tasty treats, a crowd-pleasing classic. A bechamel sauce makes it creamy and delicious and then we add a rich, salty flavour with roasted mushrooms. This dish is moreish and indulgent, healthy(ish) and makes a great main course or side for a BBQ.

Serves 6

1 head of broccoli
1 red onion
2 tbsp olive oil
8 portobello mushrooms (about 325g)
350g macaroni
700ml plant-based milk
70g dairy-free butter
55g plain flour
2 tsp onion powder
1½ tsp garlic powder
2 tsp English mustard
4 tbsp nutritional yeast
40g dairy-free cheese, grated
1¼ tsp salt, plus a little extra
¾ tsp black pepper, plus a little extra
50g panko breadcrumbs
Salad leaves, to serve, optional

For the marinade

5 tbsp soy sauce
20ml maple syrup
20ml apple cider vinegar
20ml olive oil

Preheat oven to 180C. Line two baking trays. Put a large saucepan of salted water on a high heat.

Cut the broccoli into roughly 2½cm florets and cubes (trim the stalks and use the soft parts). Peel and roughly chop the onion into 1cm chunks. Lay both the onion and broccoli on one of the lined baking trays, drizzle with the 2 tbsps of olive oil and lightly season with salt and pepper. Put the tray on the top shelf of the preheated oven.

Cut the mushrooms into 1cm chunks. Put the ingredients for the marinade into a bowl and combine with a fork. Add the mushroom pieces to the marinade and stir to coat. Spread the mushrooms over the second lined baking tray and put this in the oven on the shelf below the broccoli and onion. Set the timer for 15 minutes, by which time all the veggies should be golden brown. Remove both trays and increase the oven temperature to 220C.

While the vegetables are roasting, add the macaroni to the pan of boiling salted water and cook until al dente, following the instructions on the packet. Drain and tip into the lasagne dish.

Meanwhile, warm the plant-based milk in the microwave. Put a medium saucepan on a medium heat. Put the dairy-free butter in the saucepan and stir with a wooden spoon until it melts. Turn the heat right down and gradually add the flour to the pan, stirring vigorously until you have a doughy paste. Gradually pour in the warm plant-based milk, stirring all the time until you have a thick, creamy sauce.

Add the onion powder, garlic powder, mustard, nutritional yeast, dairy-free cheese, 1¼ tsp salt and ¾ tsp pepper and stir into the sauce. Keep stirring until the sauce thickens to the consistency of custard.

Add the cooked vegetables and sauce to the pasta and mix together so that everything is well covered. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the top, season with salt and pepper and put the dish in the oven for 5 minutes to warm through and crisp up the breadcrumbs. Remove from the oven and serve with a small side salad, if you like.

Recipe taken from ‘BOSH!’ by Henry Firth and Ian Theasby (£20, HQ)