Recipes

Chocolate & Pistachio Shortbread

Here’s how to make it…

Ingredients:

Method:

Begin by preheating the oven to 177 degrees (gas mark 4)
Line a large tray with baking paper and set to one side
Remove the shells from the pistachios. Add the nuts to a food processor and process until a fine, flour-like crumb is formed
Add the dairy free butter and golden caster sugar to a bowl. Beat until a smooth mixture is formed
Add all of the dry ingredients, apart from the dark chocolate. Using clean hands, bring everything together to create a dough
Put the dough in the fridge and allow to rest. This will take around 30 minutes
Remove the dough from the fridge. Using a rolling pin, roll out on a lightly floured surface around 10mm thick
Using a 40mm circular cutter, cut the dough in to 12 circles
Place the circles of dough on the lined baking tray. Put the tray in the pre-heated oven and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown
Once baked, remove from the oven and set to one side
Once the shortbreads have cooled, add the dark chocolate to a bain-marie. Simmer on a medium heat until the chocolate has melted
Decorate with melted chocolate and pistachios for a final flourish

This recipe serves 12.

Recipes

Carrot Cake

Here’s how to make it…

For the cake mixture:

For the frosting:

Method:

Begin by preheating the oven to 200 degrees (gas mark 6)
Grease two 20 x 20cm cake tins with a little sunflower oil and set to one side
Add all of the dry cake mixture ingredients to a bowl
Add all of the wet cake mixture ingredients to a measuring jug
Pour the wet cake mixture ingredients in to the dry cake mixture ingredients and stir to combine
Using a ladle, evenly divide the batter between the two greased cake tins
Put the cake tins in the pre-heated oven and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a skewer can be inserted in the centre of each and removed cleanly
Once baked, remove from the oven and set to one side
While the cake cools, prepare the frosting. Add all of the frosting ingredients, apart from the pistachios, to a bowl and stir to combine. Loosen the mixture with a little soya milk to reach your desired consistency
Once cooled, remove the cake from the tins and sandwich together using half of the frosting. You may need to cut the cakes first to create an even surface
Add the remaining frosting to the top of the cake using a pallet knife or a piping bag
Remove the shells from the pistachios. Add the nuts to a food processor and process until a coarse crumb is formed
Decorate with the pistachio crumb for a final flourish

This recipe serves 8.

Recipes

Here’s how to make it…

Ingredients:

Method:

Begin by preheating the oven to 200 degrees (gas mark 6)
Add the tomatoes and unpeeled garlic to an oven proof dish along with the balsamic vinegar and a generous drizzle of rapeseed oil
Add the dish to the pre-heated oven and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the tomatoes are soft
Remove the dish from the oven and set to one side
While the tomatoes and unpeeled garlic are cooling, prepare the polenta. Add the polenta to a large pan
Gradually add twice the quantity of boiling water. Stir continuously on a medium heat until the polenta is smooth and all of the liquid has been absorbed
Carefully remove the garlic from the dish and peel. Using a fork, mash the cloves until a smooth mixture is formed. Add the garlic to the polenta then stir to combine
Add the dairy free butter and nutritional yeast then stir to combine
Finely chop the parsley
Once the dairy free butter has melted, season to taste then serve alongside the tomatoes
Decorate with the parsley for a final flourish

This recipe serves 2.

Recipes

Here’s how to make it…

Ingredients:

Method:

Begin by preheating the oven to 200 degrees (gas mark 6)
Line 2 large trays with baking paper and set to one side
Chop the baby potatoes and cauliflower in to bite size pieces. The fine beans just need any stems removing
Peel and chop the onion in to bite size pieces
Add the baby potatoes, cauliflower, fine beans and onion to a large bowl along with a little rapeseed oil, a pinch of sea salt and a pinch of black pepper. Toss together
Place the baby potatoes, cauliflower, fine beans and onion on 1 of the lined baking trays
Lay the chickpeas on top of a piece of kitchen paper. Lightly press with another piece of kitchen paper to remove the excess water
Add the chickpeas to a large bowl along with a little rapeseed oil, a pinch of sea salt and a pinch of black pepper. Toss together
Place the chickpeas on the other lined baking tray. Add both trays to the pre-heated oven and bake for 25-30 minutes
Remove the trays from the oven and set to one side
While the vegetables and chickpeas cool, prepare the dressing. Add the egg free mayonnaise, mango chutney, curry powder, lime zest and lime juice to a bowl then stir to combine
Finely chop the coriander
Add the baby potatoes, fine beans, cauliflower, onion and dressing to a bowl
Stir to combine then serve
Top with the chickpeas, coriander and pomegranate seeds for a final flourish

This recipe serves 4.

Recipes

Here’s how to make it…

Ingredients:

Method:

Begin by preparing the asparagus. Remove the tips and dice the stems in to bite size pieces. Set the stems to one side
Add the asparagus tips to a bowl along with a little olive oil, a pinch of sea salt and a pinch of black pepper. Toss together
Place the asparagus tips on a hot griddle pan. Fry on each side until slightly charred
While the asparagus tips are frying, prepare the risotto. Finely chop the celery and leek
Add the asparagus stems, celery and leek to a large pan along with a generous drizzle of olive oil
Saute on a low heat for around 5 minutes
Finely chop or grate the garlic. Add the garlic to the pan along with the risotto rice
Stir to combine then saute for a further 5 minutes
Gradually add the vegetable stock. Stir continuously on a medium heat until the rice is soft and all of the liquid has been absorbed
Add the fresh or frozen peas to the risotto then stir to combine
Once the peas are soft, finely chop the mint and parsley. Add the mint and parsley to the risotto along with the nutritional yeast, lemon zest and lemon juice
Stir to combine, season to taste then serve
Top with the asparagus tips for a final flourish

This recipe serves 2.