Lentil Bolognese

This recipe makes enough bolognese for about 6 portions... But it keeps well in the fridge and freezes fine too. It's also very versatile... The basic recipe works as spaghetti bolognese, as a filler in lasagne, or with rice / mashed potatoes etc...

1 red onion
2 cloves garlic
3 medium sized carrots
200g red lentils
500ml vegetable stock
2 tins chopped tomatoes
4 tbsp tomato puree
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp marjoram
couple of bay leaves

1. Chop the onion, crush the garlic and fry gently in a little oil for about 5 mins

2. Grate the carrots, add to the onion and garlic and fry for a few more mins until soft.

3. Add the lentils (remember to soak first if necessary, depending on the instructions on the packet) and the vegetable stock. Cover and boil rapidly for 10 mins.

4. Add the remaining ingredients (tomatoes, tomato puree and herbs) and simmer for about half an hour, until the bolognese is at the right consistency.

And it's as easy as that :)

Pancakes

This recipe is for Scotch pancakes, which are smaller and thicker... like American-style pancakes rather than crepes. I do have a recipe for crepes somewhere too, so I'll post that at some point.

For about 8 pancakes:

125g plain flour
1tbsp soy flour
1tbsp caster sugar
1 ½tsp baking powder
250ml soy milk

1. Sift the flour, soy flour and baking powder together in a large bowl

2. Stir in the sugar

3. Make a well in the middle and gradually beat in the milk. Whisk all ingredients together for a few minutes until they are well mixed. The batter should be thick enough not to spread too much when dropped in the pan, as this way the pancakes will stay thicker and rise nicely.

4. Leave the batter to stand for about 10 mins (some people swear this works, others say it doesn't make a blind bit of difference, so depending on your opinion, this stage is optional!)

5. Grease a small, non-stick frying pan with a little vegan margarine or vegetable oil and heat over a low heat until smoking slightly.

6. Using a ladle, gently pour a small amount of batter into the pan. Once the pancake has bubbled and set, flip so that the other side cooks.

7. Serve with whatever takes your fancy. I've had these with raspberries and maple syrup, which is lovely. Bananas also work well, and vegan ice cream could be added for a bit of a treat :)

Raspberry Muffins

Bought more raspberries than I knew what to do with this weekend, so figured I ought to put them to good use.


(Makes 12)

250g plain flour
1 1/2 tbsp soya flour
1 1/2 tbsp baking powder
100g golden caster sugar
1/2 tsp mixed spice
75g soya margarine
175ml soya milk
150g raspberries

1. Preheat oven to 200℃

2. Sift plain flour, soy flour and baking powder into a large bowl. Stir in the caster sugar and mixed spice.

3. Rub in the margarine with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.

4. Gradually beat in the soya milk until the mixture is almost smooth. Take care not to overbeat as it should still be a little lumpy.

5. Gently fold in the raspberries. Spoon the mixture into 12 muffin cases and bake for 20-25 mins, until golden and springy to the touch.

Chocolate 'Cheese'cake

I had this with a friend at a lovely little vegan cafe in Peckham (they don't seem to have their own website, so I've linked to a review). It was absolutely amazing, so we bugged the chef to tell us what was in it. A little internet research and some adaptation later (the first likely recipe I found wasn't chocolatey enough!) and I came up with the following:

Base:
2 tbsp vegan margarine
10 digestive biscuits (McVities low-fat ones are vegan, Hobnobs are also vegan and work well)

Topping:
250 ml soya milk
1 teaspoon sugar
200g plain chocolate
1 pack Tofutti vegan cream cheese (available in most branches of Holland and Barrett)

1. Melt the margarine over a slow heat. Crush the biscuits and stir into the melted margarine. Spread over the base of a 20cm cake tin, pack well (a vegetable masher works well for this) and place in fridge to chill.

2. Melt the chocolate in a glass bowl, over a pan of hot water. Once smooth, set aside to cool for a few moments.

3. Empty the cream cheese into a large bowl and whisk until smooth. Gradually add the melted chocolate and soya milk alternately, mixing all the time. Add the sugar and mix thoroughly.

4. Pour the cheesecake mixture on top of the biscuit base, smooth with the back of a spoon and return to the fridge for at least 2-4 hours to set. You can also prepare the day before it is needed and leave to set overnight.

NB: You can easily make this recipe gluten-free by using gluten-free biscuits for the base. I made it once using Tesco Free-From Ginger Biscuits, which are both vegan and gluten free, and it worked really well.