VEGAN DELIGHTS:
five easy dinners that will be ready in just 30 minutes
Orange kūmara with chickpea tabbouleh SERVES 4 PREP AND COOK TIME 20 MINUTES
4 small orange kūmara (1kg) (see Tips) 400g can chickpeas, drained, rinsed, chopped coarsely
2 small tomatoes (180g), chopped finely
1 Lebanese cucumber (130g), chopped finely
2 spring onions, chopped finely
½ cup small mint leaves (see Tips)
½ cup (130g) hummus
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
¼ teaspoon sumac
1 Pierce the kūmara a few times with a sharp knife. Microwave on HIGH (100%) for 8 minutes or until soft.
2 Meanwhile, combine chickpeas, tomato, cucumber, spring onion and mint in a medium bowl; season.
3 Whisk hummus, lemon juice and 2 tablespoons water in a small bowl until smooth; season to taste.
4 Cut kūmara lengthways along the top, being careful not to cut all the way through. Squeeze the sides gently to create a well in the centre. Fill kūmara with chickpea tabbouleh; drizzle with hummus dressing and olive oil, then sprinkle with sumac. Not suitable to freeze or microwave.
Coconut, tomato and lentil soup SERVES 4 PREP AND COOK TIME 30 MINUTES
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 small onion (80g), sliced thinly
2 teaspoons yellow mustard seeds
2 teaspoons curry powder
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup (200g) red lentils
1 litre (4 cups) vegetable stock
½ cup (125ml) coconut milk, plus extra to drizzle 2 medium tomatoes (300g) coriander leaves and lemon wedges, to serve
1 Heat coconut oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat; cook onion, stirring, for 3 minutes or until soft. Add mustard seeds; stir for 4 minutes or until they start to pop. Add curry powder; cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
Add tomato paste; cook, stirring, for a further 30 seconds.
2 Add lentils, stock and coconut milk; bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low; simmer, covered, stirring occasionally for 10 minutes or until lentils are tender. Coarsely chop 1 fresh tomato; stir into soup until just heated through. Season to taste.
3 Coarsely chop remaining fresh tomato. Ladle soup into bowls; drizzle with a little extra coconut milk, then top with chopped tomato and coriander leaves. Serve soup with lemon wedges. Suitable to freeze. Not suitable to microwave.
Vegetable spring rolls MAKES 10 PREP AND COOK TIME 25 MINUTES
50g dried rice vermicelli noodles
1 tablespoon peanut oil
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh ginger
1 shallot, sliced thinly
1 large carrot (180g), cut into matchsticks
½ teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
2 cups (160g) shredded Chinese cabbage
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 tablespoons tamari
1 teaspoon cornflour
10 x 20cm frozen spring roll wrappers 3 cups (750ml) vegetable oil sweet chilli or sriracha sauce, for serving
1 Place vermicelli in a medium heatproof bowl; pour over enough boiling water to cover. Stand for 2 minutes or until soft; drain well. Using scissors, snip noodles into shorter lengths.
2 Heat oil in a large wok or frying pan over medium-high heat. Add garlic, ginger, shallot and carrot; stir-fry for 5 minutes or until carrot is soft. Stir in fivespice, Chinese cabbage and sesame oil; stir-fry for 1 minute.
3 Combine tamari and cornflour in a small bowl. Add to vegetables, stir until thickened slightly. Transfer mixture to bowl, stir in vermicelli until combined. Cool to room temperature.
4 Place a spring roll wrapper on flat surface. Place ¼ cup of filling, onethird up from the bottom edge in a line, leaving 1.5cm border at each side. Fold over once, then fold in the sides and roll up to enclose filling; brush the join with a little water to seal. Repeat with remaining wrappers and filling.
5 Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat until 190°C (or until a small cube of bread browns in 10 seconds).
Fry spring rolls for 3 minutes or until golden and crisp. Drain on paper towel over a wire rack.
6 Serve spring rolls with sweet chilli sauce or sriracha for an extra chilli kick. Accompany with steamed Asian greens and white or brown rice for a substantial dinner option.
Suitable to freeze. Not suitable to microwave.
Mushroom “steak” sandwiches MAKES 2 PREP AND COOK TIME 20 MINUTES
¼ cup (60ml) olive oil
1 large onion (200g), sliced thinly
1 large green capsicum (350g), sliced thinly
375g portobello mushrooms, sliced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tablespoons smoky barbecue sauce
⅓ cup (80ml) vegan beef-like stock
2 slices vegan cheddar (36g), halved
2 long seeded bread rolls (100g), split in half
2 tablespoons American mustard fresh or pickled sliced jalapeño chillies, to serve (optional)
1 Heat olive oil in a large non-stick frying pan over high heat; cook onion and capsicum for 4 minutes or until softened. Add mushrooms; cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until golden. Add garlic; stir for 1 minute. Add barbecue sauce and stock; cook for 2 minutes or until thickened. Season.
2 Place vegan cheddar in the rolls, spoon hot mushroom mixture on top. Drizzle with mustard; top with jalapeños.
Not suitable to freeze or microwave.
Chicken-like fried rice SERVES 2 PREP AND COOK TIME 20 MINUTES
1 bunch broccolini
200g block tempeh
2 tablespoons tamari
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons sriracha
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
250g packet microwave long-grain white rice
½ cup frozen peas sliced long red chilli and lime wedges, to serve
1 Split broccolini in half lengthways. Cut tempeh into small cubes.
2 Combine tamari, rice wine vinegar and sriracha in a small bowl. Heat vegetable oil in a wok over medium heat; stir-fry tempeh for 5 minutes or until golden on all sides.
3 Remove from wok; keep warm. Add long-grain white rice; stir-fry until heated through. Remove from wok; keep warm. Add broccolini and frozen peas to wok; stir-fry until bright green.
4 Return rice to wok with tamari mixture; toss to combine. Serve fried rice topped with tempeh, sliced long red chilli and lime wedges.
Not suitable to freeze or microwave.