EVERYDAY VEGAN

MCD travel writer Jackie Norman and her husband Gareth Scurr have recently released their first cookbook, It’s a gorgeous book and a wonderful resource for vegans looking for tasty |inspiration. Here are four recipes to whet your appetite

Everyday Vegan: Easy and Delicious.

CHEAT’S MUSHROOM RISOTTO

WHEAT/GLUTEN FREE. SERVES 4

As you can probably tell by the name, this isn't your textbook risotto. We're cheating by using basmati rice instead of the traditional arborio rice, but what the heck, it tastes too good to worry about going against the grain (yes, pun intended)! This recipe is super-easy and uses just a few simple ingredients yet has so much flavour. The secret is how and when you add the mushrooms. Delicious hot or cold, it's ideal for work lunches or a make-ahead dish for dinner.

INGREDIENTS:

2-3 tbsp oil

750g mushrooms, sliced (not too thick, not too thin – and yes, you do need that many!) scrunch of salt and pepper

2 tbsp dairy-free butter (or more, to taste)

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped or crushed 1 onion, finely chopped

1½ cups uncooked long grain rice

(we use basmati)

2½ cups vegan chicken-style stock 3 spring onions, sliced

METHOD:

Heat two tablespoons of the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add half the mushrooms, along with a generous sprinkle of salt and freshly ground black pepper and cook, stirring for around five minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside until the end.

Add the other tablespoon of oil to the pan, along with the butter and stir. Once melted, throw in your garlic and chopped onion and cook for a couple of minutes before adding the other half of the mushrooms. Cook for five minutes, stirring occasionally. Don't worry if the bottom of the pan goes all brown; that's a good thing and will add more flavour to your dish.

Add your rice to the pan and mix in well, then pour in the stock. Bring everything to the boil, then cover with a lid and reduce the heat to low. Leave to cook gently for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking, until all the liquid has evaporated into the rice. You want the rice to be tender but not mushy.

Remove the pan from the heat, then throw in your sliced spring onions, along with the mushrooms you set aside at the start. Stir quickly to combine, then cover the pan again and leave to sit (off the heat) for a further 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, remove the lid, fluff the rice using a fork and taste for seasoning, adding more dairyfree butter if necessary. Serve immediately.

HOT AND SOUR SOUP

CAN BE MADE OIL FREE, WHEAT/ GLUTEN FREE, GRAIN FREE. SERVES 4

The first time I tried hot and sour soup was years ago in Bali. I loved it, but once I was back home, I failed to find any version which came close to tasting like the ‘real deal'. Eventually I just came up with my own recipe and at last my taste buds were happily satisfied. This delicious vegan version is very healthy but also very spicy, so if you don't like the flavour too hot, I would recommend reducing the amount of chilli paste. You can also make it oil-free by simply omitting the oil and cooking the garlic and ginger in a quarter-cup of water instead, I just like the flavour the peanut oil gives.

INGREDIENTS

1 tbsp peanut oil (optional)

1 tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped

5 cloves garlic, finely chopped or crushed 2 litres vegetable stock (we recommend using either homemade or the readymade, storebought liquid stocks for the best results)

200g mushrooms, sliced, stalks on 1 small can bamboo shoots, drained 1 medium-sized bunch bok choy (or other Asian greens of choice), sliced 2 tbsp rice vinegar 1 tbsp red chilli paste, or to taste 2 tbsp tamari 1 tbsp brown sugar 3 spring onions, sliced ¼ cup fresh coriander (cilantro), finely chopped fresh mung bean sprouts, for garnish METHOD:

Heat the peanut oil (or water, if omitting the oil) in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the ginger and garlic and fry for a minute, stirring so as not to let it burn. Pour in the vegetable stock and bring it to the boil. Reduce the heat, then add in the sliced mushrooms and bamboo shoots. Simmer gently for 15 minutes. Throw in the bok choy, along with the rice vinegar, chilli paste, tamari and brown sugar and stir well, then simmer for another 10-15 minutes. At this stage, you can test your soup for seasoning and add more chilli paste if you'd like more ‘zing'. Stir in the sliced spring onions and coriander and serve, topped with the mung bean sprouts.

CANDLELIGHT CURRY

CAN BE MADE OIL FREE, WHEAT/ GLUTEN FREE GRAIN FREE. SERVES 4

It’s ridiculous how hard it is to find a good vegetable curry. Almost all the ones we’ve ever tried have been a huge disappointment. This recipe, however, is one you’ll want to make time and again. It’s a basic vegetable korma, which isn’t too spicy but is loaded with flavour and never lets you down. We’ve called it ‘Candlelight Curry’ as it is classy enough to dish up to someone you want to impress, but downto-earth enough to make for the family. Serve with rice, pappadums and a peach or mango chutney and you’ve got yourself a guaranteed hit.

INGREDIENTS:

¼ cup water

1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced 1 onion, finely chopped

½ head cauliflower, cut into small florets 1 tsp fresh ginger, finely chopped or crushed

2 tsp curry powder

1 tsp garam masala

1 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp turmeric

1 x 400ml can coconut cream

3 tsp tomato paste

1 vegetable stock cube

1 x 400g can green beans, drained (or you can use frozen)

1 small can peas, drained (or you can use frozen) salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste handful of cashew nuts, to garnish

METHOD:

Put the quarter-cup of water into a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the sweet potato and cook gently, stirring for a few minutes. Add in the onion, cauliflower and fresh ginger and cook another five minutes, stirring occasionally and adding more water if the vegetables start to stick. Add the curry powder, garam masala, ground coriander and turmeric to the pan and stir. Pour in the coconut cream, followed by the tomato paste and vegetable stock cube, then the beans and peas. Mix everything together well to combine. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for around 15 minutes, until all the vegetables are tender. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve, sprinkled with cashews.

METHOD:

First, mix the yeast, sugar and warm water together in a small bowl and let it stand in a warm place for a few minutes. Next, put the flour, salt and olive oil into a separate large bowl. Pour in the yeast mixture and then, using a metal spoon or butter knife, stir the mixture together until you have a soft dough. Place the dough onto a floured surface and begin kneading for around five minutes. Grease another, large bowl with either oil or dairy-free spread and place your ball of dough in the bowl. Cover it with cling wrap (I like to grease my cling wrap too, so that it doesn’t stick to the dough when you go to take it out). Leave your dough in a warm spot for 45 minutes or so, or until it has doubled in size.

Once the dough is ready, divide it into four equal portions. Roll them out on a floured surface, one at a time, into a circle (or as close as you can get to being pizza-shaped!). Carefully lift onto a large oven tray lined with baking paper. Prick the dough all over with a fork. Preheat the oven to 200ºc. While the oven is heating up, you can get on to preparing your toppings. First, brush the dough all over with olive oil. Next, spread over the tomato paste until the whole surface is covered. Sprinkle over some of the grated cheese, and/or cubes of vegan feta. Place in the over and cook for around 20-25 minutes, or until the pizza is cooked through and golden.