Serves 4
A hearty and comforting dish that’s good for the soul. The filling is hugely adaptable – try adding vegan mince or sun-dried tomatoes and cashew cheese for a Mediterranean twist! The pie can be served with a salad or vegetables.
For the shortcrust pastry
225g plain flour
Pinch of salt
100g vegan margarine (in chunks)
2½ tbsp cold water
For the filling
1 large potato or several small ones
1 tbsp light olive or sunflower oil
2 leeks
200g mushrooms
Homemade or jarred vegan pesto (see the recipe, page 166 in The Vegan Cook and Gardener)
Salt and pepper
To make the shortcrust pastry
1. Add the flour, salt and margarine to a food processor and blend.
2. Gradually add the water until a ball of dough has formed.
3. Cover with cling film and put in the fridge until required.
To make the filling and assemble the pie
1. Preheat the oven to 200°C (392°F).
2. Cut the potato into small chunks and steam for 10 minutes.
3. Roll out two-thirds of the pastry using a rolling pin until flat and even.
4. Carefully form the pie case by pressing the pastry around the edges and base of a pie tin. Place in the oven for 10 minutes.
5. Chop the leeks and mushrooms and fry in a pan over a medium heat with the oil for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
6. Add the cooked potatoes to the pan and combine.
7. Spread a generous amount of pesto over the pastry base before pouring in the filling. Dot more pesto on top of the mixture. Roll the remaining pastry into a circle shape to form the lid, and place carefully over the top, pressing the edges down. Make a slit in the lid to let steam escape and decorate with shapes of leftover pastry if you wish.
8. Place the pie back in the oven for a further 30 minutes.
An absolute favourite and classic – the perfect afternoon treat to nourish your soul. This version uses a healthy nut-based icing; alternatively you could make a classic ‘butter’ icing by combining 200g icing sugar with 50g vegan margarine and a little lemon juice.
For the cake
140g self-raising white flour
140g self-raising wholemeal flour
1 tsp baking powder
170g coconut sugar or sweetener of your choice
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp nutmeg
Pinch of salt
225g carrots
170g sultanas
200ml flavourless oil
200ml water
½ tsp cider vinegar
½ tsp vanilla essence
For the icing
60g raw macadamia nuts
60g raw cashews
60ml non-dairy milk
60ml agave nectar or sweetener of your choice
2 tbsp coconut oil (optional)
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp lemon juice
½ tsp salt
Handful of sunflower seeds, to decorate
To make the cake
1. Peel and grate the carrots and set aside. Grease a cake tin (approx. 24cm square).
2. In a large bowl, stir together the flours, baking -powder, sugar, spices and salt.
3. Make a well in the centre of the mixture and add the remaining ingredients, combining well.
4. Spoon the cake batter into the cake tin and bake in the oven at 180°C (356°F) for 40 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 150°C (302°F) and cook for a further 30 minutes. Check to see if it’s cooked in the middle by inserting a skewer or knife – if it comes out clean it’s ready.
5. Remove from the oven and cool in the tin.
To make the icing
1. Soak the cashews and macadamia nuts in water for a few hours.
2. Drain the nuts then combine all the icing ingredients in a food processor and blend on high speed until completely smooth (around 2-3 minutes – you may have to scrape down the sides occasionally).
3. Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes before spreading over the cake, then sprinkle over the sunflower seeds to decorate.
Serves 2
A super healthy version of vegetable gratin, and just as scrumptious! Serve as a light lunch on its own, or alongside something protein-rich like a chickpea salad. The homemade ‘parmesan’ is also perfect to sprinkle over pasta dishes.
1½ tbsp light olive oil
1 onion
Salt and pepper
Small bunch of sprouting broccoli or a handful of florets
1 medium courgette
200ml vegan parmesan
For the vegan parmesan
120g raw cashews
3 tbsp nutritional yeast
½ tsp salt
½ tsp garlic granules
To make the gratin
1. Preheat the oven to 190°C.
2. Fry the onions over a medium heat in a dash of olive oil and the salt and pepper until lightly browned. Set aside.
3. Chop the broccoli and courgette and arrange on a large baking tray in a nice pattern.
4. Drizzle on the remaining olive oil and sprinkle the vegan parmesan over the top.
5. Bake in the oven for 25 minutes, allowing it to rest for a moment once out of the oven before dishing up.
To make the vegan parmesan
Place all of the ingredients into a food processor and blend to a grain-like consistency.
These recipes are from Piers Warren and Ella Glendining’s book, The Vegan Cook and Gardener
