VEGAN MEALS YOU’LL LOVE

With spring having sprung and, hopefully, more beautiful summer weather on the way I’ve found that I am looking for lighter meat-free meals. Right now, there are brilliant seasonal vegetables available which have been grown in the U.K and taste wonderful. It is nice to know when food hasn’t been flown around the world before reaching your plate and I was happy to find some massive asparagus in my vegetable box this week.

With warmer weather heading our way, I have created a few dishes which are easy to make, super healthy and 100% vegan. My spiced chickpea filled baked potato makes for a tasty main meal, the lemon and garlic asparagus as a perfect side dish and for dessert, an apple and blackberry galette. Fresh, healthy and above all, absolutely delicious.

SPICED CHICKPEA FILLED BAKED POTATO

I love this recipe. It’s super simple to make, is rich and full of flavour. If you don’t have the same spices then play about with what you have in your cupboard. Adding dried oregano or rosemary is a great way to make it more Mediterranean inspired than spiced.

What you’ll need (Serves 2)

 

  • 2 baking potatoes (cook your preferred way)
  • 1 red onion (save a little for garnishing)
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • 1 tablespoon of cumin seeds
  • 1 teaspoon of paprika
  • 1 chilli (optional)
  • 1 tin of chickpeas in water (drain the water before cooking)
  • 1 tin of tomatoes
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 100g cherry tomatoes
  • Fresh coriander

Method

  1. Whilst the potatoes are baking in the oven, in a pan, soften the red onion and garlic on a low heat with a little olive oil
  2. Stir in the cumin seeds. For some extra heat, also pop in your chilli here
  3. Add in the chickpeas and tin of tomatoes and stir
  4. Mix in the salt and pepper
  5. When the baked potatoes are nearly done, add the cherry tomatoes to the mix. This will allow them to keep their shape but warm up
  6. Carefully half the potatoes and spoon the spiced tomato chickpea mix on top
  7. Garnish with a few slices of red onion and fresh coriander
  8. Serve and enjoy

To switch up the recipe, try swapping the baked potato for a sweet potato.

LEMON AND GARLIC ASPARAGUS

Asparagus is one of my favourite vegetables. It tastes great and I love that it can be cooked in many ways making it so versatile. For this dish, I keep it super simple and cook the ingredients on a low heat in a frying pan lined with a layer of greaseproof paper. The greaseproof paper really helps seal in the flavours as you scrunch it around the asparagus so it cooks and slightly steams.

What you’ll need (Serves 2)

  • 250g asparagus
  • 1 lemon
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • 2 tbsp olive oil or vegan butter if you have it

Method

  1. Line a large piece of greaseproof paper in the bottom of a frying pan
  2. Lay the asparagus in top of the greaseproof paper
  3. Chop up the garlic and add to the pan
  4. Slice the lemon and squeeze over the asparagus
  5. Add a few small chunks of the olive oil or vegan butter
  6. Scrunch the paper around the ingredients making a little bag. If it unravels, don’t worry
  7. Cook on a medium to low heat for about 15 minutes until cooked all the way through
  8. Serve and enjoy

APPLE AND BLACKBERRY GALETTE

This is a simple dessert which always looks like a show-stopper. It only takes a few ingredients to make which is also a bonus. The jam glaze on the apples at the end is definitely a step not to be missed!

What you’ll need

  • Shortcrust pastry (Jus Rol ready rolled sheets are vegan)
  • 2 apples – I used Royal Gala
  • 2 tbsp maple syrup
  • Half a teaspoon of cinnamon
  • Half a teaspoon of mixed space
  • 100g blackberries
  • Granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon of jam
  • 1 tablespoon of water

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 160ºC fan / 180ºc
  2. With the pastry at room temperature, unroll and place on a baking tray
  3. Core and slice the apples and place in a bowl with the maple syrup, cinnamon and mixed spice. Give it a good stir
  4. Place the apple, maple syrup and spice mix over the pastry leaving 2 inches around the edge
  5. Fold the pastry at the side to make a case
  6. Sprinkle with granulated sugar and bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown
  7. While it’s cooking, mix together the jam and water. When the galette is cooked, remove from the oven and using a pastry brush, brush the jam mix over the apples
  8. Serve and enjoy hot

Looking for more plant-based dishes? We love Sisley’s Easy Vegan Rainbow Salad and Fresh Basil and Parsley Spaghetti Salad.